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Written Question
Events Industry: Insurance
Thursday 25th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the decision not to offer a Government-backed reinsurance scheme on the number of live music events that will go ahead in the summer.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are aware of the concerns which have been raised about the challenge of securing indemnity for live events. Department officials have been working closely with the affected sectors to understand the challenges and to keep the situation under review.

Understandably, the bar for considering government intervention is set extremely high, especially in light of recent announcements including the considerable extension to the furlough scheme and local business support. My officials are continuing to collect evidence of all of the barriers live events are facing to reopening. There are a number of factors which influence the viability of music festivals, and indemnity insurance is only one aspect of this.

We are keeping the situation under review and working closely with Her Majesty’s Treasury on this issue to determine the appropriate and most effective response for the sector within the public health context.


Written Question
Musicians: EU Countries
Monday 22nd March 2021

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to initiate formal bilateral talks with any EU member states on reciprocal arrangements for touring musicians during this calendar year.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This Government recognises the importance of touring for UK cultural professionals and understands that the cultural and creative sectors rely on the ability to move people across borders quickly, simply, and with minimal cost and administration.

The UK’s rules for touring creative professionals are more generous than many EU Member States. Our door is open if the EU is willing to reconsider its position, and it is within Member States’ gift to match our arrangements..

We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries, including through the DCMS-led working group, to look at the issues and options, such as working with bilateral partners in Europe, to help the sectors resume touring with ease as soon as it is safe to do so.


Written Question
Music: UK Trade With EU
Monday 22nd March 2021

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of providing financial support to music exporters looking to export to the EU.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK music sector and the rich breadth of musical talent across the UK. According to UK Music’s 2020 report, the sector contributed £5.8bn GVA to the UK economy in 2019 and generated £2.9bn in export revenue.

Leaving the EU has always meant that there would be changes to how creative professionals operate in the EU. UK musicians are, of course, still able to tour and perform in the EU. However, we understand the concerns about the new arrangements and we are committed to supporting the sectors as they get to grips with the changes to systems and processes. We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries, including through the DCMS-led working group, to look at the issues and options to help the sectors resume touring with ease as soon as it is safe to do so.

The UK music industry continues to benefit from the Department for International Trade’s Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) which has been running since 2014. Over 280 small and medium-sized music businesses from across the UK have received grants through the scheme to support marketing and promotional activities to help them grow their international business. The government also funds The International Showcase Fund, which is administered by PRS Foundation and awards grants to enable music artists and creators to perform at key music showcase events and conferences around the world.


Written Question
Events Industry: Insurance
Monday 22nd March 2021

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accessibility of commercial COVID-19 cancellation insurance for live events.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Government is aware of the concerns which have been raised about the challenge of securing indemnity cover for live events. My officials continue to work closely with the affected sectors to understand all barriers to reopening, including potential challenges around indemnity cover.

For instance, DCMS has established a sector-led sub-group for Outdoor Events and Festivals. The sub-group, chaired by industry, has developed draft planning guidance for how music festivals may be able to take place in the future, and adapt to the latest regulations and guidance, with input from Public Health England (PHE) and DCMS. There is also a dedicated Indoor Venues Steering Group, similarly tasked and composed of industry representatives, PHE and DCMS officials.


Written Question
Tourism: EU Countries
Monday 8th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that UK-based mountain tourism businesses are not prevented from continuing their activities in the EU unless they replace their UK guides with guides from an EU country.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Withdrawal Agreement protects UK nationals who live or are a frontier worker in an EU Member State at the end of the Transition Period. Those who have had a professional qualification recognised under the EU legislation listed in the Withdrawal Agreement will keep the right to practise the profession in the Member State in which they live or work. This includes many professions in scope of the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive such as engineering and accounting.

As of 1 January 2021, UK-qualified professionals who wish to supply services in the EU should seek recognition for their qualifications using the national rules in EU Member States. Professionals should check the European Commission’s Regulated Professions Database to find out if their profession is regulated in the state in which they are seeking to work. They should then contact the single point of contact for that country to find out how to get their professional qualification recognised. Alternatively, they can seek advice from the UK Centre for Professional Qualifications (UK NARIC) to find out which regulatory or professional body they should contact.

The UK-EU TCA provides a framework under which the UK and the EU may agree Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) on the recognition of professional qualification covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States. Once an arrangement is adopted under the TCA, UK professionals will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition for their professional qualifications within EU Member States.

Arrangements are implemented on a profession-by-profession basis and depend upon reciprocal cooperation from both the UK and EU Member States. The framework enables UK and EU professional bodies or authorities to make recommendations on MRAs to the Partnership Council.  Once an arrangement has been adopted, a professional qualified in the UK (e.g. an engineer) will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition of their qualifications within an EU Member State.

The Government continues to engage with stakeholders in the tourism sector to hear their priorities for the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Officials are currently engaging with the tourism trade bodies, including the British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML) to gather feedback on priority regulators and qualifications for the tourism sector.


Written Question
Tourism: EU Countries
Monday 8th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on (1) the activities, and (2) the livelihoods, of UK professional international mountain leaders, and in particular those whose mountain tours pass through several EU countries.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Withdrawal Agreement protects UK nationals who live or are a frontier worker in an EU Member State at the end of the Transition Period. Those who have had a professional qualification recognised under the EU legislation listed in the Withdrawal Agreement will keep the right to practise the profession in the Member State in which they live or work. This includes many professions in scope of the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive such as engineering and accounting.

As of 1 January 2021, UK-qualified professionals who wish to supply services in the EU should seek recognition for their qualifications using the national rules in EU Member States. Professionals should check the European Commission’s Regulated Professions Database to find out if their profession is regulated in the state in which they are seeking to work. They should then contact the single point of contact for that country to find out how to get their professional qualification recognised. Alternatively, they can seek advice from the UK Centre for Professional Qualifications (UK NARIC) to find out which regulatory or professional body they should contact.

The UK-EU TCA provides a framework under which the UK and the EU may agree Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) on the recognition of professional qualification covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States. Once an arrangement is adopted under the TCA, UK professionals will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition for their professional qualifications within EU Member States.

Arrangements are implemented on a profession-by-profession basis and depend upon reciprocal cooperation from both the UK and EU Member States. The framework enables UK and EU professional bodies or authorities to make recommendations on MRAs to the Partnership Council.  Once an arrangement has been adopted, a professional qualified in the UK (e.g. an engineer) will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition of their qualifications within an EU Member State.

The Government continues to engage with stakeholders in the tourism sector to hear their priorities for the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Officials are currently engaging with the tourism trade bodies, including the British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML) to gather feedback on priority regulators and qualifications for the tourism sector.


Written Question
Qualifications: UK Relations with EU
Tuesday 2nd March 2021

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications; and what plans they have to ensure that UK Mountain Professionals will benefit from Mutual Recognition Agreements.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides a framework under which the UK and the EU may agree Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) on the recognition of professional qualification covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States. Once an arrangement is adopted under the TCA, UK professionals will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition for their professional qualifications within EU Member States.

Arrangements are implemented on a profession-by-profession basis and depend upon reciprocal cooperation from both the UK and EU Member States. The framework enables UK and EU professional bodies or authorities to make recommendations on MRAs to the Partnership Council.  Once an arrangement has been adopted, a professional qualified in the UK (e.g. an engineer) will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition of their qualifications within an EU Member State.

The Government continues to engage with stakeholders in the tourism sector to hear their priorities for the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Officials are currently engaging with the tourism trade bodies, including the British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML) to gather feedback on priority regulators and qualifications for the tourism sector.

The government will provide help and guidance to UK regulatory authorities and professional bodies to help them benefit from these provisions as well as other recognition paths. Where visas apply, our agreement with the EU contains measures that will help ensure processes are as prompt and smooth as possible.


Written Question
Music: Coronavirus
Friday 20th November 2020

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken (1) to support live music venues to operate in a COVID-19 secure manner, and (2) to propagate best practice in that industry.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Performing Arts guidance was developed in collaboration with the live events sectors to help venues put on live events in a covid secure manner.

The Secretary of State announced an unprecedented £1.57 billion support package for the cultural sector which will benefit the music sector by providing support to venues and many other cultural organisations to stay open and continue operating. So far, over £500 million has been announced from the Culture Recovery Fund for over 2,000 cultural organisations across England, almost a fifth of which has, so far, gone to the music sector. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations including venues, festivals and theatres.

As part of this, £3.36 million was shared between 136 grassroots music venues across England which had successfully applied for emergency support in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. These emergency grants of up to £80,000 enabled venues to cover ongoing running costs incurred during closure, such as rent and utilities but also allowed them the chance to adapt to become covid secure for socially distanced live audiences when permitted.

In order to propagate best practice across the industry, the Entertainment and Events Working Group gathers key industry bodies to help produce detailed guidance and ensure that the latest updates to that guidance are shared with their sectors.


Written Question
Arts: Termination of Employment
Monday 16th November 2020

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of workers who have left (1) the music, (2) the performing arts, and (3) the creative, sector since March.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We recognise that businesses and workers in the creative industries have been severely impacted by Covid-19.

The Government has not made an assessment of the number of workers who have left the music, performing arts and creative sector since March. We have worked closely with music and cultural sector representative bodies to maximise the survival of businesses and employee retention in the sector, through the extensive range of support the Government has provided to businesses and the self-employed.

We are committed to continuing to work with the music and cultural sectors to understand the difficulties they face and help them access support through these challenging times and through recovery.


Written Question
Performing Arts: Coronavirus
Monday 16th November 2020

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assess the effect of the introduction of Tier 2 and Tier 3 COVID-19 measures on (1) live music venues, (2) theatres, and (3) other live performance venues.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Since Thursday 5 November, new national restrictions have been in force in England to control the spread of coronavirus and to limit contacts between households.

During this period, performing arts venues such as theatres, concert halls (including grassroots music venues) and entertainment venues can continue to operate under Stages 1 and 2 of the performing arts roadmap. This means performing arts professionals may continue to rehearse and train, and perform for broadcast or recording purposes. Other than for this purpose, these venues must close.

We have always said that further reopening of the performing arts sector would be dependent on the public health context at the time. DCMS has convened a Venues Steering Group which includes representatives from leading sector organisations as well as Public Health England and other experts to develop an action plan for maximizing activity under Stages 3 and 4, when it is permitted again, and for how we safely proceed to Stage 5 of the roadmap. DCMS will continue to work with these sectors to establish an appropriate pilot process for testing the return to stage 5 activity when appropriate and are working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care on the Government Mass Testing Programme.