To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what additional financial support he plans to allocate to Newcastle’s Theatre Royal in the event that the theatre is not able to hold public events for the remainder of 2020.
Answered on
17 June 2020
The Government recognises that this is an incredibly challenging time for those in the cultural sector and that there are many organisations who are currently facing challenging and uncertain circumstances. We are very alert to this issue, and are working to find solutions that support this vital sector.
The Government has provided the cultural sector with an unprecedented financial support package, in particular through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. In addition, Arts Council England has put together a £160 million emergency response package for the cultural sector which is available to publicly-funded organisations as well as those not usually in receipt of public funding .
The Secretary of State, Ministers and officials continue to consult the cultural sector extensively to ensure they fully understand the potential impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on the sector. DCMS is regularly engaging with HMT to feed in their assessment of the potential impacts and to ensure the needs of the cultural sector are factored into the developing economic response, and that DCMS sectors are supported throughout this time.