Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 23
Third Report - Impact of COVID-19 on DCMS sectors: First Report
Published 23 Jul 2020
Paragraph 96
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Impact of Covid-19 on DCMS sectors All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The capacity constraints that arise from the requirements of social distancing make yield management and smoothing out demand more important than ever. The Eat Out to Help Out programme will help shift some demand to trough days. Doubtless attractions, transport providers and lodgings will re-examine their own promotional programmes to maximise yield in these circumstances, and where relevant, attractions will look at their opening hours/days. DCMS needs to go further in supporting work to reduce the seasonality of the UK tourism industry. This will matter next year, as well as in 2020, due to the problem of booking deferrals and concomitant loss of income for a second year in a row. In its response to this report, DCMS should set out its plans for supporting an extension of the holiday season. As a matter of urgency, DCMS should introduce a Tourism Data Hub to assess visitor intention for 2021 so that the industry can plan ahead for next year.
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Third Report - Impact of COVID-19 on DCMS sectors: First Report (HC 291), paragraph 96, 23 July 2020
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 14 October 2020 (deadline 23 September 2020).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response sets out support already provided across DCMS sectors, agrees with the recommendation for a national domestic tourism campaign, and on several other recommendations says it is considering options, working with the sector, or would need further evidence.
- On tax reliefs for theatre and music, the government says it "keeps all tax reliefs under review" and that HM Treasury "would need to assess" any new relief for effectiveness, cost to the Exchequer, wider economic impacts and ability to stand up to abuse.
- On extending the furlough scheme for the creative industries, it states that "there will be no further extensions or changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme", which closes at the end of October, and points to a new Job Support Scheme from 1 November.
- On museum insolvency, the government says it is "looking at legislative, and non-legislative, options" to prevent the dispersal of collections.
- On a 'Creators Council', it says it "would need a clear steer from the sector" and "robust evidence" of a gap in what the existing Creative Industries Council delivers, if the sector wishes it to consider the proposal.