North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has questioned the Welsh Government this week over support for the arts sector amid the Covid-19 pandemic after the North Wales Music Tuition Centre on Brunswick Road in Buckley was told that they were ineligible for the Welsh Government’s £10,000 Business Grant because they don’t receive Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR).
North Wales Music Tuition Centres operate 5 not-for-profit music tuition centres across 4 Counties of North Wales.
Mr Isherwood raised the matter with the Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language, whose responsibilities include Culture and the Arts, during yesterday’s Virtual Plenary Meeting.
Taking part from his home in North Wales via ‘Zoom’, Mr Isherwood asked:
“In Flintshire, North Wales Music Tuition Centres have been told that they are ineligible for the Welsh Government's £10,000 Business Grant, because they don't receive Small Business Rate Relief. Will you therefore confirm whether the arts sector and other recipients of Charity and not-for-profit organisation Business rate relief with a rateable value of £12,000 or less are also eligible?”
Responding the Minister said: “When it comes to culture and the arts, you will have seen that some of our funding for the arts and sports, we have repurposed that; about £17 million has been repurposed. There is a £1 million cultural resilience fund and there's a £7 million arts resilience fund that maybe you could suggest that they look at as an alternative. But you may have seen today also that there has been an extension to the support in terms of business rates grants that will be open for sports clubs and for charities as well. So, maybe they could look at that now as an alternative source.”
Mr. Isherwood added “When I contacted Flintshire County Council on behalf of the North Wales Music Tuition Centre in Buckley, which is in receipt of the business rate relief applicable to charities and not-for-profit organisations, I was told that although the Welsh Government was ‘considering the position’, Charity shops and not for profit organisations with a rateable value of £12,000 or less are not in receipt of SBRR and are therefore not eligible for the £10,000 Grant. I had therefore also written to the Finance Minister regarding this and now welcome yesterday’s announcement that charitable organisations based in premises with a rateable value of £12,000 or less which were previously refused the grant because they weren’t receiving Small Business Relief can now apply.”