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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what reports he has received on the costs, time taken and other difficulties related to the visa process for UK musicians performing in the US; and whether his Department has made representations on those costs and difficulties to the US government.

My Department is working closely with the FCO, BIS, the US Government, UKTI and the UK music industry to maximise opportunities for emerging and established musicians to perform to audiences in the United States and around the world. I recognise the US government's desire to strike the right balance between cultural exchange, creative exports and security. I hope together we can pursue practical improvements to the visa system which enable British talent to flourish in the US and around the world

​Between 2012 and 2016, the Government invested £460 million in a range of music and cultural education programmes. We introduced tax relief for orchestras and started a successful music export scheme which has helped many musicians to go abroad.​ Discussions are ongoing about a revamp of the Music Export Growth Scheme and we hope to make an announcement shortly.