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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the economic contribution of (a) touring musicians and (b) cultural professionals to the UK economy.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) recognises that touring musicians and cultural professionals are essential to the United Kingdom’s economic vitality. The Department assesses the economic contribution of these sectors through the DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates, which provide accredited official statistics on Gross Value Added (GVA), employment, and trade, which are available at national and regional levels. These data can be found on the DCMS website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dcms-sectors-economic-estimate.

The Government remains committed to supporting these professionals both at home and abroad. We continue to engage with the sector to address barriers to international touring and to ensure a sustainable environment for domestic performance, maintaining the UK’s position as a world-leading hub for the arts.