Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Conclusion 1
First Report - The future of UK music festivals
Published 29 May 2021
Paragraph 14
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee The future of UK music festivals All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
With only 8% of festivals applying for the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund, and those that were successful receiving just 1.3% of the available grants, the Government’s flagship investment in the arts was of limited benefit to the festival sector as a whole. This was in part due to the needs, resources and management structures of festivals, many of which were not used to applying for public funding. However, it also reveals that there are lessons for Arts Council England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to learn about how they engage with, and meet the needs of, this important part of our creative industries.
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, First Report - The future of UK music festivals (HC 49), paragraph 14, 29 May 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 17 August 2021.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the report and sets out a response to each recommendation, with an insurance scheme in place of the Committee's proposals, a commitment to explore environmental licensing objectives, and no support for front-of-house drug testing.
- On insurance, the government announced a Live Events Reinsurance Scheme, saying it "should also address" the call to extend the Events Research Programme, which it describes as "science-led".
- On environmental objectives, it "agrees with the Committee" on supporting festivals' emissions pledges, and says DCMS "will work closely with DEFRA and MHCLG to explore" the licensing proposal "over the coming months".
- On drug checking, it is "unable to support the use of front-of-house testing until further assessments are carried out", while continuing to support back-of-house testing of seized substances.
- On monthly reporting on EU touring, the government considers working closely with the creative industries "the most appropriate channel" for updates, and says 19 of 27 Member States have confirmed no visas or work permits are needed for short-term tours.