Reed Smith Client Alerts

On Friday 22 May, Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), chaired the first meeting of the Cultural Renewal Taskforce, which will be responsible for getting the recreation and leisure sectors ‘up and running again.’
London city view from under a bridge

It has been announced that the Cultural Renewal Taskforce will aim to support the DCMS sector by:

  • Helping to develop sector specific COVID-19 secure guidelines for the reopening of public places and businesses, building on existing work settings guidance; 
  • Providing intelligence; 
  • Developing creative solutions, including digital solutions, to drive the return of sectors whilst maintaining consistency with the medical advice being issued;
  • Providing DCMS stakeholders direct access to ministers; and
  • Building on existing channels of government support, including the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme, the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants, and the £200 million of emergency public funding through the Arts Council, Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Cultural Renewal Taskforce is one of five new ministerial-led taskforces that have been set up to guide the safe re-opening of the economy, following publication of the UK government’s National Covid-19 Recovery Strategy to help rebuild Britain.

The Cultural Renewal Taskforce will meet weekly, with the next meeting due to take place on Friday 29 May. 

More information available at gov.uk.

Our Reed Smith Coronavirus team includes multidisciplinary lawyers from Asia, EME and the United States who stand ready to advise you on the issues above or others you may face related to COVID-19.

For more information on the legal and business implications of COVID-19, visit the Reed Smith Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center or contact us at COVID-19@reedsmith.com.

Client Alert 2020-342