Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the evidence basis is for his Department's decision to allow 4000 spectators at sporting events in tier 1 areas after the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown.
A: (Nigel Huddleston, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) The safety and security of players and spectators remains of paramount importance and we will continue to be led by wider public health guidance. These capacity limits have been agreed by the Government with SGSA and PHE as a maximum capacity for spectators, in light of the updated Covid Tiering system.
We want fans back in stadia as quickly as is safe to do so, and believe that now we can permit these still extremely limited numbers of fans to attend matches. A series of successful pilot events demonstrated the ability of the sector to follow covid secure guidance. We will be updating our guidance to the sector, and the SGSA’s SG02 guidance sets out explicit guidance on how safe socially distanced capacities can be maintained.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will issue guidance to local authorities on (a) how and (b) when travelling fairgrounds can re-open during the covid-19 outbreak.
A: (Nigel Huddleston, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) Whilst outdoor events are not currently able to proceed due to national restrictions, the guidance on which we have worked with the Events Industry Forum will support outdoor events to operate safely when we move to the local tier system on 2 December.
From 2 December, as set out in the COVID Winter Plan we will return to a tiered approach to COVID-19 restrictions. Funfairs and fairgrounds - which will be permitted to reopen in all three tiers as they were prior to this period of national restrictions - will need to go through the normal process of requesting permission and any relevant licences from the relevant authority and have the relevant health and safety protocols in place, including a Covid-19 risk assessment. Local Authorities are responsible for deciding whether to permit outdoor events in their area. Decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis, with consideration given to both the risks and the mitigations in place.
In the government's Covid-19 Secure guidance for the Visitor Economy, we have provided guidance for Local Authorities on how to assess applications for outdoor events and how Local Authorities should support event organisers to hold outdoor events safely. We will continue to work closely with Local Authorities and the sector to get outdoor events running safely and successfully once they are permitted.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) holds regular engagement calls with local government sector groups to highlight significant policy updates and holds regular Ministerial calls with local authority leaders and chief executives.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will introduce a grant specifically to (a) support and (b) reimburse lost income for for designed to support showmen during the covid-19 outbreak.
A: (Nigel Huddleston, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) Government has introduced a number of support measures to support the tourism and outdoor events sector through COVID-19, which funfair businesses and showmen can access.
In response to the current national restrictions, the Chancellor has confirmed how the government will support businesses and individuals during this period. For instance, self-employed workers in the funfairs industry can explore the extended Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
Further to this, the Additional Restrictions Grant discretionary fund will allow Local Authorities to help businesses more broadly. It supports businesses that are not covered by other grant schemes, such as the Local Restrictions Support Grant, or where additional funding is needed. Local Authorities have the freedom to determine the eligibility criteria for this grant scheme. However, we expect the funding to help those businesses which - while not legally forced to close - are nonetheless severely impacted by the restrictions.
We recognise that Covid-19 has significantly impacted the culture sector and that these are extremely difficult times for organisations such as travelling funfairs and showmen. We continue to meet with representatives of the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain to assess how we can most effectively support the industry through this period.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he made of the potential effect of an extension of the autumn 2020 covid-19 lockdown on (a) businesses and (b) jobs in the hair, beauty and wellness services sector.
A: (Paul Scully, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister addressed the nation on Monday 23 November setting out Government’s COVID-19 Winter Plan. The COVID-19 Winter Plan ensures the current national restrictions can be lifted on 2 December. Close Contact Services will be able to open in all tiers.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional support to assist people who are self-employed and required to self-isolate.
A: (Jesse Norman, Financial Secretary to the Treasury) Self-employed individuals who are required to self-isolate may be eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). The Government has announced that the third SEISS grant will cover the period from November 2020 to January 2021 and will be calculated at 80 per cent of average trading profits, capped at £7,500. The Government has published guidance on gov.uk on who can claim and sets out specific information about self-isolation and how this interacts with the eligibility criteria for the third grant.
Moreover, the SEISS continues to be just one element of a comprehensive package of support that may be available to self-employed individuals who have been required to self-isolate. Through the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, self-employed individuals on low incomes who cannot work from home and who are asked to self-isolate may be eligible for a one-off payment of £500. The Universal Credit standard allowance has been temporarily increased for 2020-21 and the Minimum Income Floor relaxed for the duration of the crisis, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings. In addition to this, they may also have access to other elements of the package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays and other business support grants.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Help to Buy Loan scheme to the end of 2021 to allow people whose purchases have been disrupted by the covid-19 outbreak to complete those purchases under that scheme.
A: (Christopher Pincher, Minister of State at the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government) The Government recognises that there have been delays caused by Covid-19. That is why on 31 July a two-month extension was announced to the building completion deadline from 31 December 2020 to 28 February 2021. The legal completion deadline for the purchase remains 31 March 2021.
The Government also announced an extra measure to protect existing customers who have experienced severe delays as a result of coronavirus. Homes England, who administer Help to Buy, will work with those who had a reservation in place before 30 June to assess their situation and look to provide an extension where necessary, in which case, they will have until 31 May 2021 to legally complete. More information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/help-to-buyscheme-extended.
We believe these measures provide sufficient time for developers to build out homes delayed by Covid-19 and protect customers whose purchases have been significantly delayed. There are no plans to extend the current scheme further.
Meanwhile the Government’s new Help to Buy scheme, which will replace the current scheme and is for first time buyers only, will commence on 1 April 2021 and run until March 2023. More information can be found at: https://www.helptobuy.gov.uk/equity-loan/help-to-buy-equity-loan-2021-2023/.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the curfew on hospitality venues until 2am on new year's day.
A: (Paul Scully, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) On the 2nd December, the current national measures will end and we will move to a more localised intervention based on three tiers. Under the new tiers, the 10pm closing time for hospitality has been modified to last orders at 10pm and closing time at 11pm. This allows customers to depart gradually and provides greater flexibility.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the level of risk of covid-19 transmission in ice skating rinks where (a) hygiene and (b) social distancing measures are followed.
A: (Nigel Huddleston, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus. That’s why we made sure that people could exercise at least once a day even during the height of the first period of enhanced national restrictions and why we opened up grassroots sport and leisure facilities as soon as it was safe to do so.
As the Prime Minister said on 23 November national restrictions will end on Wednesday 2 December, and gyms and sport facilities will reopen across all tiers. Outdoor skating rinks can stay open across all tiers and indoor skating rinks can open in Tiers 1 and 2. Unfortunately in Tier 3 areas indoor skating rinks will remain closed, because these areas have a very high or rapidly rising level of infections, so tighter restrictions will be in place.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of social isolation on the cognitive skills of dementia sufferers.
A: (Helen Whately, Minister of State for Department of Health and Social Care) Guidance on the national restriction states that although people are required to stay at home, there are exemptions to reduce risk of isolation. These include allowing people to form support bubbles and to provide care to vulnerable people. The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the closure of ice skating rinks during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown on the (a) mental health and b) physical wellbeing of people who regularly use ice-skating rinks at (i) amateur or (ii) professional level.
A: (Nigel Huddleston, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus. That’s why we made sure that people could exercise at least once a day even during the height of the first period of enhanced national restrictions and why we opened up grassroots sport and leisure facilities as soon as it was safe to do so.
As the Prime Minister said on 23 November national restrictions will end on Wednesday 2 December, and gyms and sport facilities will reopen across all tiers. Outdoor skating rinks can stay open across all tiers and indoor skating rinks can open in Tiers 1 and 2. Unfortunately in Tier 3 areas indoor skating rinks will remain closed, because these areas have a very high or rapidly rising level of infections, so tighter restrictions will be in place. However, elite athletes will still be able to access relevant facilities.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to allow (a) professional and (b) amateur ice skaters to continue training on ice rinks as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
A: (Nigel Huddleston, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus. That’s why we made sure that people could exercise at least once a day even during the height of the first period of enhanced national restrictions and why we opened up grassroots sport and leisure facilities as soon as it was safe to do so.
As the Prime Minister said on 23 November national restrictions will end on Wednesday 2 December, and gyms and sport facilities will reopen across all tiers. Outdoor skating rinks can stay open across all tiers and indoor skating rinks can open in Tiers 1 and 2. Unfortunately in Tier 3 areas indoor skating rinks will remain closed, because these areas have a very high or rapidly rising level of infections, so tighter restrictions will be in place. However, elite athletes will still be able to access relevant facilities.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development, whether any agreement on the future relationship between the UK and the EU will include Gibraltar.
A: (Wendy Morton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) The UK continues to negotiate for the whole UK family, which includes Gibraltar. We remain fully committed to finding a solution that supports Gibraltar, its people and its economy.
The UK and the Government of Gibraltar have held a number of constructive discussions with Spain on this issue. It is clearly in all parties' interests to find a solution, to ensure ongoing well-being and prosperity in the region.
Q: (Andrew Rosindell) To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the risk of covid-19 spreading in bingo halls when hygiene and social distancing measures are followed.
A: (Nadine Dorries) Hygiene and social distancing measures are vitally important for reducing the transmission risk of COVID-19. We know that the virus spreads readily in any indoor environment where members of different households and/or support bubbles spend time together, so the transmission risk in indoor settings, such as bingo halls, remains high.
The Government will continue to listen carefully to the views of the scientific community, the information from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and its sub-groups when taking decisions on the best way to tackle the pandemic.
