Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the ability of UK creative professionals to undertake work in Europe was discussed under the agenda item ‘Entry and temporary stay of natural persons for business purposes: implementation, transparency and sharing best practice’ at the Specialised Committee on Services, Investment and Digital Trade under the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement meeting held on 11 October.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At the meeting of the Specialised Committee on Services, Investment and Digital Trade on 11 October, the UK referred to touring artists in the context of the agenda item ‘Entry and temporary stay of natural persons for business purposes: implementation, transparency and sharing best practice’. The EU took note of the UK’s concerns. The minutes of the Committee meeting will be published in due course.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on providing additional financial support to touring (a) artists and (b) music organisations travelling to the European Union.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
This government recognises the importance of the UK’s creative and cultural industries, not only to the economy and international reputation of the United Kingdom, but also to the wellbeing and enrichment of its people. We want musicians and performers to be able to tour abroad easily.
We recognise that challenges remain around touring, and we are continuing to work closely with the industry. In order to support this we have published guidance on GOV.UK, including updated travel advice for travelling to the EU, and business traveller summaries for individual Member States, and developed sector specific ‘landing pages’ for GOV.UK, aimed at the creative sectors, which will allow cultural and creative professionals to easily locate and access guidance that is relevant to them.
Member States are principally responsible for deciding the rules governing what work UK visitors can undertake in each Member State. This is why we have spoken to every EU Member State about the importance of touring. From these discussions, 19 out of 27 Member States have confirmed that UK musicians and performers do not need visas or work permits for some short-term tours.
We are now actively engaging with Member States, and in particular those that do not allow any visa or permit free touring, to encourage them to more closely align requirements with the UK’s generous rules, which allow creative professionals to tour easily here. DCMS ministers are speaking with their counterparts as part of these discussions, and we are working with the sector to amplify each other’s lobbying efforts.
We are looking at options to support individuals and businesses to resume touring with ease. This includes looking carefully at proposals for a new Creative Export Office that could provide further practical help.
Asked by: Baroness Harman (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Guidance on working, performing, and touring in Europe, if his Department will publish the sources of information used to support the guidance on visa/work permits.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
This government recognises the importance of the UK’s creative and cultural industries, not only to the economy and international reputation of the United Kingdom, but also to the wellbeing and enrichment of its people. We want musicians and performers to be able to tour abroad easily.
In order to support this, our focus is now on bilateral engagement with Member States, who are principally responsible for deciding the rules governing what work UK visitors can undertake in the EU. This is why we have spoken to every Member State. From those extensive discussions,19 out of 27 Member States have confirmed that UK musicians and performers do not require visas or work permits for some short term touring. Travellers should always check what requirements they need to fulfil with the EU Member State they are travelling to, and that is why we are working closely with Member States to ensure their guidance is clear and accessible.
We have also developed sector specific ‘landing pages’ for GOV.UK, aimed at the creative sectors, which will allow cultural and creative professionals to easily locate and access guidance that is relevant to them. From these pages, general business traveller summaries can be accessed, which provide enhanced guidance on EU Member State immigration systems for GOV.UK, and include sector-specific rules that feature on Member State websites.
We are now actively engaging with those remaining EU Member States that do not allow visas or work permit free touring, and calling on them to align their arrangements with the UK’s generous rules, which allow creative professionals to tour here easily. Formal approaches have been made, DCMS ministers will be actively involved, and we are working closely with the sector to amplify each other’s lobbying efforts.
We recognise challenges remain around touring, and we are continuing to work closely with the industry. We want to ensure that as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, touring can resume and our world-leading creative and cultural artists can continue to travel widely, learning their craft, growing their audiences and showing the best of British creativity to the world.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to work with his counterparts in the EU member states that have more restrictive visa and work permit requirements than those of the UK, to ensure that artists from the UK can continue touring on a reciprocal basis.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We have always acknowledged that the end of freedom of movement would have consequences for touring musicians and performers. That is why, as the Secretary of State has said, we have moved at pace and with urgency to provide greater clarity about the current position, including working with our friends in EU Member States, to support the creative sectors tour in Europe with ease.
Member States are principally responsible for deciding the rules governing what work UK visitors can undertake in the EU, and we have spoken to every Member State. We have established musicians and performers do not need visas or work permits for short-term tours in at least 19 out of 27 Member States. This includes France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and many more. The length of tour permitted without a visa or permit varies across Member States. For many Member States it is for up to 90 days, which will capture the vast majority of tours.
We are continuing to speak to all Member States to encourage them to ensure their rules and guidance are clear and accessible. And we are now working closely with those Member States that do require visas or work permits for short-term tours to encourage them to adopt a more flexible approach, in line with the UK’s own rules which allow creative professionals to tour here easily. Formal approaches have been made to those Member States, and DCMS ministers will play an active role in discussions.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2021 to Question 156495 on Arts: EU Countries, what progress the Government has made on (a) negotiating a bespoke Visa Waiver Agreement with the EU for the creative sector, (b) reaching bilateral agreements with EU Member States regarding the introduction of cultural exemptions for work permits and (c) mitigating the impact of new road haulage and cross-trade rules on pan-European cultural tours.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
This government recognises the importance of our world leading creative and cultural industries. That is why the UK took an ambitious approach during negotiations that would have ensured that touring musicians, performers and their support staff did not need work-permits to perform in the EU. Regrettably, our proposals were rejected by the EU, but our door remains open if the EU wants to reconsider its position.
A bespoke visa waiver agreement with the EU would require the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) to be renegotiated. The TCA is the basis of our trading relations with the EU, and this is not going to be renegotiated.
The Commission would be likely to argue that any EU-wide visa waiver agreement can only be part of a wider package with a binding non-discrimination clause and a reciprocal visa waiver agreement covering all current and future Member States. This was what the Commission proposed in the negotiations and would be incompatible with our manifesto commitment to retain control of our borders.
We have spoken to every Member States about the importance of touring, and we have established that at least 18 out of 27 Member States, including France and Germany, allow some visa and permit free touring. Furthermore, we are now working closely with individual Member States to encourage them to adopt a more flexible approach, in line with the UK’s own rules which allow creative professionals to tour easily here.
We are aware that the new provisions in the TCA around haulage will require the sector to adapt to new requirements and ways of working with the EU now we are no longer a Member State. The Department for Transport published a call for evidence on 30 June to seek views and evidence on two possible options that could help support these sectors adapt to the new requirements.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of reductions in staffing levels at the British Council on the UK’s reputation overseas in respect of (a) delivering education and training and (b) securing trade deals following the UK's departure from the EU.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK Government remains committed to the British Council. As the Integrated Review made clear, the Council is one of the vital instruments of our influence overseas. It will continue to operate in over 100 countries promoting the English language, UK arts and culture and education, and continue to promote Global Britain. Questions about staffing levels are operational matters for the British Council.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has plans to discuss (a) EU touring for musicians and other creatives professionals and (b) the proposal for a bespoke UK-EU visa waiver for the creative industry at the next meeting of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
At the first UK-EU Partnership Council on 9 June, the UK raised the issues faced by touring performers and noted work under way with Member States to try to resolve the barriers presented by visa and work permit requirements.The UK and EU have not yet agreed a date or agenda for the next Partnership Council. We continue to discuss these issues with all EU Member States to find solutions that work for our great creative industries.
Asked by: Lord Brennan of Canton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when UK-EU reciprocal touring arrangements will be discussed at the Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
At the first UK-EU Partnership Council on 9 June, the UK raised the issues faced by touring performers and noted work under way with Member States to try to resolve the barriers presented by visa and work permit requirements.The UK and EU have not yet agreed a date or agenda for the next Partnership Council. We continue to discuss these issues with all EU Member States to find solutions that work for our great creative industries.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they intend to hold, if any, with the EU concerning the effect of challenges with cabotage on the ability of performing artists based in the UK to conduct tours in the EU.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement has ensured that the vast majority of journeys will continue as they did before the end of the transition period, despite leaving the Single Market and Customs Union.
During negotiations, the UK pressed the EU hard on liberalised access for hauliers carrying equipment for cultural events, but the EU did not agree to our asks. We have, however, made it clear that our door remains open to discussing these proposals should the EU position change.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to negotiate a new arrangement with the EU for those involved in the creative industries sector, particularly in relation to arrangements for touring musicians.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK performing arts sectors and the rich breadth of artistic talent across the UK.
UK performers and artists are of course still able to tour and perform in the EU, and vice versa. 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.
As the Prime Minister has said, we're working flat out with the industry, including through the DCMS-led working group, on plans to support the creative sectors to tour in Europe. Through our bilateral discussions with EU Member States, we have established that in at least 17 out of 27 Member States some touring activities are possible without visas or work-permits. The UK has significantly more generous arrangements for touring professionals than many Member States, and should they be willing to change their rules to match ours we will have those discussions and encourage them to do so.