UK gov’t extends production restart scheme

The UK government has extended its Film & TV Production Restart Scheme, for productions struggling to get insurance for risks related to Covid-19, by six months.

The £500m (US$678m) scheme was set up last July to help UK productions unable to obtain insurance for coronavirus-related risks get back up and running and to support them if future losses are incurred due to Covid-19.

The scheme was initially accepting claims for losses incurred up until June 30, 2021, but has now been extended to December 31. The extension was announced by chancellor Rishi Sunak in his Spring Budget statement yesterday.

Caroline Norbury, CEO of the Creative Industries Federation, said the announcement, which also included an extension of the furlough scheme for UK workers until September and a £408m injection into arts and culture, was “very welcome.”

“These measures will provide relief to many in the UK’s creative industries, a sector that has been among the worst hit by the pandemic and that will be one of the latest to return to work,” she said.

“As we look to the future, we know that the creative industries can power us out of recession, driving economic growth, creating jobs and making our communities happier, healthier places for everyone.

“It is therefore welcome to see creative industries highlighted as a priority in both the government’s Plan for Growth and the Levelling Up Fund, recognising that our £116bn sector is a major industry that will unlock innovation and drive the future of the UK in the months and years to come.”