Question reference: S5W-29004
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 11 May 2020
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Current status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 May 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of jobs lost in the arts, culture and tourism sectors as a result of COVID-19, also broken down by the number that it estimates could be lost in these sectors in 2020.
Answer
Official data on the impact of COVID-19 on those employed in the arts, culture and tourism sectors are not yet available for Scotland.
The ONS has published initial UK-level data on the impact of COVID-19 by industry through its Business Impact of COVID-19 Survey (BICS). Data for Wave 3 of BICS (covering the period 6 April to 19 April) was published on 7 th May, and includes data on the Accommodation & Food Service sector and the Arts, Education & Recreation sectors. This publication also includes UK level data on responding firms’ trading status, measures taken to respond to COVID-19, and the use of the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Data from ONS’s BICS is available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/
output/datasets/businessimpactofcovid19surveybicsresults
The impact of COVID-19 of Scotland’s arts, culture and tourism sectors has been extremely challenging. The Scottish Government has significant and ongoing engagement with key stakeholders from these sectors including through the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group and Creative Scotland’s Covid-19 response group, which have been key in identifying and addressing many of the challenges for businesses, employees and the self-employed. We have expanded our substantial package of support for businesses to include support for self-catering businesses and the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund and Self-Employed Hardship Fund will support many who have not been eligible for other forms of support. Creative Scotland is providing an expected total budget of £14 million of support in response to the COVID-19 situation including the Bridging Bursary Fund for freelance creative professionals; the repurposed Open Project fund to help practitioners adapt and respond to the current changing circumstances; and one-off bursaries to film and TV sector workers. The Scottish Government is also engaging with the UK Government to make the case that any changes to UK Government support schemes such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, reflect the circumstances faced by businesses within the arts, culture and tourism sectors.