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<p>We are committed to continue working with the festival sector to understand the
difficulties they face and help them access support through these challenging times
and through recovery. We are aware of the concerns which have been raised by the festival
sector about the challenge of securing indemnity cover for live events. My officials
have been working closely with festival industry stakeholders to understand the challenges
and to keep the situation under review. I also chair the Events and Entertainment
Working Group where I discuss these issues directly with the festival industry.</p><p>Protecting
public health is of vital importance to myself and the government. We are exploring
all barriers to reopening, which include potential challenges around indemnity cover.
Understandably, the bar for considering Government intervention is set extremely high,
especially given the considerable extension to the furlough scheme and local business
support.</p><p>Given the high costs involved in setting up a scheme we also need to
make sure it is the most effective and appropriate use of funds at a time when we
are looking at how best to support the sector in facing the wider challenges around
recovery and renewal. As such, HM Treasury does not believe that now is the right
time for an insurance intervention.</p><p>At the Budget the Chancellor will set out
the next phase in our economic support package to reflect the steps set out in the
Prime Minister’s roadmap to easing restrictions published last month, tailoring support
for individuals and businesses to reflect the changing public health restrictions.</p><p>
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