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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Barran on 10 September (HL Deb, col 911), what plans they have to seek a Mode IV agreement with the EU to cover musicians and music professionals; and whether any such agreement would enable musicians to travel between the UK and the EU for performing, recording, teaching, or collaborating at short notice and for short periods of time.

Our cultural and creative sectors are one of the UK’s greatest success stories and the music industry is a major contributor to this. The Government recognises the importance of the continued mobility of musicians and music professionals.

As set out in Our approach to the Future Relationship with the EU, the Government is seeking reciprocal mobility arrangements with the EU in a defined number of areas. For example, to allow business professionals to provide certain services, visa-free. This is in line with the arrangements that the UK might want to offer other close trading partners in future, where they support new and deep trade deals.

Although we cannot preempt the outcome of ongoing negotiations, we will continue our close dialogue with the sector to ensure that the Government is kept well informed of the needs of the music sector.