To ask the Minister for Communities when indoor and outdoor live music will be able to recommence.

Ms Hargey

I am pleased that live music, indoors and outdoors, can now be performed, though subject to a number of limits and specific exclusions in the interests of safety. From 24 May, the number of people permitted at indoor and outdoor gatherings was increased, supporting the return of arts and cultural activities, including live music. The maximum size of an indoor gathering is now based on the capacity of the venue, and up to 500 people can form an audience at an outdoor gathering. Risk assessments and social distancing measures need to be in place, and those new limits do not supersede specific restrictions contained in the legislation on live music in hospitality venues or at post-ceremony celebrations for civil partnerships and weddings. Those steps are welcome and take us a considerable way along the path to the reopening of our culture, arts and heritage sectors, with all the social and economic benefits they bring. However, it is vital that we continue to be careful and stick to the rules and guidance. I recognise the importance of getting our arts and culture sectors up and running again. For that reason, I have established a culture, arts and heritage recovery task force, chaired by Rotha Johnston, with members drawn from across those sectors, including the music industry. I recently met Music NI to discuss some of the specific issues around music venues and events such as festivals. I have asked the task force to consider what further support might be needed for those whose activities and livelihoods continue to be impacted by COVID.

The task force will look at measures to support reopening and recovery in the short term and will inform the longer-term work on the strategy for culture, arts and heritage.

Ms Hargey

We are conscious that we moved at a different pace with reopening in our pathway to recovery, and I know that that drew some criticism. We have engaged on that on a weekly basis in the Executive, and I am sure that it will be raised again this week and next week as we start to look at the next phase of easing restrictions. On the one hand, we are moving well with the numbers that we are hitting in our vaccination programme, which is obviously having an impact. Assessments are still being done on the Indian variant and any other variants that may come into play. One of the primary reasons for creating the task force was to start to work with the sector and those with expertise in managing events safely. Those people have done that for pretty much all their working lives, and it is part of the work that they do. We want to engage them. The task force has had meetings and has tried to meet individuals and groups over the last week or so in order that it can come back with firm recommendations on the way forward. I am hopeful that I will be able to make more announcements over the next few short weeks about getting music and events up and running again. There have been pilots of some festival events in Liverpool, and measures have been introduced there. Via the Health Minister, we continue to engage with the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and others on the learning and lessons from those events and how they can be used in what we do here. I will continue to keep Members up to date on that. As I said, we are making those assessments. We are also working with the Department of Health to look at the cultural, economic and social impacts of keeping the current restrictions in place, but I hope that we can start to move to have music and events again in the short term. With the release of the COVID moneys from the Budget, I now have financial support for the culture, arts and music sectors in the short term. That has been welcomed by those sectors.

Ms Ennis

Minister, those who make a living from performing were obviously some of the most affected by the pandemic. Despite that, they have been to the fore of keeping public morale up by giving online performances. I commend them for that. I also commend the Minister for the supports that she put in place to support that sector. The Minister outlined some of this in her response to previous questions, but does she recognise and agree that there will be a need for continued support for that sector as we progress through the recovery?

Ms Hargey

Yes, there definitely will. That is why I was glad that my full bid for COVID moneys was met with the moneys that were allocated just over two weeks ago. The situation with freelancers has been significant, as they have been directly impacted. That is why I made spaces available on the task force for freelancers. The nominations came from the sectors, and they nominated the people, they felt, could best represent them. Obviously, they are still being impacted, probably more so than other industries, as venues have effectively been shut and they have not been able to play music or participate in live events, festivals or gigs. As part of the COVID moneys for recovery and safe reopening, we continue to work through the task force to look at schemes that we can support them through until we are in the position where society and that part of the economy have fully reopened.

Mr Nesbitt

Minister, for clarity, I understand that Van Morrison is scheduled to appear at the Europa Hotel over four nights starting on 10 June. Are you saying that, if there is an appropriate risk assessment, those concerts can go ahead? Asking for a friend. [Laughter.]

Ms Hargey

Yes, as long as they keep within the regulations, which say that there will need to be an assessment of the venue size, recognising that venues have different capacities, and that a risk assessment will need to be conducted. There is an issue about how loud music can be in a venue, and they would need to adhere to that. As part of the task force's work, I hope that live music and how loud it can be played will start to be taken forward through more easements over the coming weeks.

Mr Durkan

I look forward to announcements, hopefully in the near future, on the resumption of music, which will allow performers and ancillary industries to earn a living and enhance our and everyone's enjoyment of life. Will the Minister clarify whether entertainment, specifically stand-up comedy, will fall under the same category as live music, or can it resume on 21 June in line with theatres reopening? That really is on behalf of a friend.

Ms Hargey

Are you a stand-up comedian? [Laughter.]

I am only joking. The date of 21 June is indicative. We are working with the task force and the Health Department on bringing forward more specifics to start to open venues. Mitigations can be put in place if you are doing stand-up comedy. The issue with music generally from a public health perspective is that the louder the music, the more people have to shout and the more transmission there is of spit and other things. That said, we are actively looking at mitigations that could be put in place. With the indicative date as given, venues can increase capacity, depending on the size of the venue, and have events such as stand-up comedy, while making sure that a risk assessment is carried out. More information will be given after this week's Executive meeting and in the following week, once the Health Department has finished those assessments.