We welcome the efforts by Arts Council England to address issues resulting from the live music sector’s ability to access public funding raised in our predecessor committee’s ‘Live music’ inquiry six years ago, and indeed grassroots music venues said that ACE funding through Covid had been a lifeline. However, we are concerned that perceptions and administrative burdens remain largely the same. We recommend that the Government and Arts Council work to reduce the administrative burden of applying for public funding. (Paragraph 75) Stakeholder disputes