Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to establish a transitional support fund for UK musicians intending to tour in the EU.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK performing arts sector 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 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.
We are considering a number of options to ensure performers, musicians and artists have the support they need to tour and work in countries across the EU. We have produced new guidance to help artists understand what's required in different countries, and are looking carefully at proposals for a new Export Office that could provide further practical help. We will set out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to negotiate with the EU to reduce barriers faced by musicians intending to tour EU countries; whether they have produced a timetable for those negotiations; and if so, whether they will place a copy of the timetable in the Library of the House.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK performing arts sector 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 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.
We are considering a number of options to ensure performers, musicians and artists have the support they need to tour and work in countries across the EU. We have produced new guidance to help artists understand what's required in different countries, and are looking carefully at proposals for a new Export Office that could provide further practical help. We will set out next steps in due course.
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, what plans he has to create a music touring fund to support UK musicians touring in the EU until reciprocal visa and permit-free touring rights have been negotiated.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK performing arts sector and the rich breadth of artistic talent across the UK.
We understand the sector’s concerns about the new arrangements since leaving the EU and we are committed to supporting them as they get to grips with the changes to systems and processes.
We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the creative and cultural sectors, including through the DCMS-led working group, on plans to support them to tour in Europe. We are considering a number of options to ensure performers, musicians and artists have the support they need to tour and work in countries across the EU. This includes producing new guidance to help artists understand what's required in different countries, and looking carefully at proposals for a new Export Office that could provide further practical help. We will set out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Robert Neill (Conservative - Bromley and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if the Government will provide an emergency funding package for the performing arts sector to mitigate the costs associated with touring in Europe and new visa and work permits rules.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK performing arts sector and the rich breadth of artistic talent across the UK.
Leaving the EU has always meant that there would be changes to how creative professionals operate in the EU. UK performing artists are 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 performing arts and wider creative industries, including through the DCMS-led working group, on plans to support the creative sectors tour in Europe. This includes producing new guidance to help artists understand what's required in different countries, and looking carefully at proposals for a new Export Office that could provide further practical help.
Asked by: Robert Neill (Conservative - Bromley and Chislehurst)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made on producing guidance for the performing arts sector on the visa and work permit requirements for each EU Member State.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
While UK performing artists are still able to tour and perform in the EU, being outside the European Union means practical changes on both sides of the Channel that will require understanding and adaptation. We recognise this, and that is why we are working urgently across government to ensure guidance is clear, up to date and accessible for the performing arts sector travelling to the EU.
To date, we have published guidance on GOV.UK, signposting to official information provided by EU countries about their business travel routes. We will continue to enhance guidance for businesses to support travel for work purposes under our new trading relationship with the European Union, and we will publish business traveller summaries for each Member State in April. We are also developing sector specific “landing pages” for GOV.UK.
We will imminently be engaging with EU Member States to improve their guidance, specifically around their entry and work permit requirements, to ensure this is as clear and accessible as possible. Where there are issues around the clarity of Member States’ immigration rules, we will also raise these with the European Commission.
And through the DCMS-led Working Group, we are working closely with sector bodies - several of whom have already produced excellent guidance in this area - to help distil and clarify the new rules further.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
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 his EU counterparts on UK productions touring in the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The UK’s creative industries are the finest in the world and this government is determined to support them. Touring is a vital part of musicians and performers’ careers, providing not only a vital income stream, but also enriching opportunities for cultural exchange across the world.
Being outside the European Union does not change this. It does, however, mean practical changes on both sides of the Channel that will require understanding and adaptation.
DCMS has established a working group with other key government departments, the devolved administrations, and over fifteen representatives from across the creative and cultural industries. The working group is seeking to build evidence on the impact leaving the EU has had on touring, to clarify the steps creative and cultural practitioners will need to take to tour in the EU, and identify ways to support those practitioners in touring confidently. We will set out next steps in due course.
We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries, including through a new working group, to help address these issues so that touring in Europe can resume with ease as soon as it is safe to do so.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department's working group has made on EU touring productions.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The UK’s creative industries are the finest in the world and this government is determined to support them. Touring is a vital part of musicians and performers’ careers, providing not only a vital income stream, but also enriching opportunities for cultural exchange across the world.
Being outside the European Union does not change this. It does, however, mean practical changes on both sides of the Channel that will require understanding and adaptation.
DCMS has established a working group with other key government departments, the devolved administrations, and over fifteen representatives from across the creative and cultural industries. The working group is seeking to build evidence on the impact leaving the EU has had on touring, to clarify the steps creative and cultural practitioners will need to take to tour in the EU, and identify ways to support those practitioners in touring confidently. We will set out next steps in due course.
We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries, including through a new working group, to help address these issues so that touring in Europe can resume with ease as soon as it is safe to do so.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to support creative workers affected by barriers to work in the EU.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The UK’s creative industries are the finest in the world and this government is determined to support them.
This Government understands that the cultural and creative sectors rely on the ability to move people across borders quickly, simply, and with minimal cost and administration. Touring is a vital part of musicians and performers’ careers, providing not only a vital income stream, but also enriching opportunities for cultural exchange across the world.
Being outside the European Union does not change this. It does, however, mean practical changes on both sides of the Channel that will require understanding and adaptation.
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.
We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries, including through a new working group, to help address these issues so that touring in Europe can resume with ease as soon as it is safe to do so.
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, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of negotiating a reciprocal touring artist visa waiver programme with the EU to ensure that artists, musicians and performers can tour freely.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
The Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians and other creative professionals. We acknowledge that there will be some additional processes for those in creative industries working across the EU now that the transition period has come to an end. However, our agreement with the EU contains Transparency and Procedural Facilitation measures that will help ensure visa processes are as prompt and smooth as possible.
During our negotiations with the EU, the UK proposed measures, reflecting the views of the music industry itself, that would have allowed musicians to travel and perform in the UK and the EU more easily, without needing work-permits. Specifically, we proposed to capture the work done by musicians, artists and entertainers, and their accompanying staff through the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors.
In practice this would have delivered an outcome that is closer to the UK’s approach to incoming musicians, artists and entertainers from non-visa national countries, such as EU Member States and the US, who can come to perform in the UK without requiring a visa. Unfortunately, these proposals were repeatedly rejected by the EU.
The EU did not propose and wouldn’t accept a tailored deal for musicians, artists and their support staff to tour across the EU and UK.
Going forward, we will continue our close dialogue with the creative and cultural sectors to ensure that they have the support they need to thrive.The Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians and other creative professionals, and has engaged extensively with the creative industries and arts sector since the announcement of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to ensure they are aware of the new requirements.
Asked by: John Nicolson (Scottish National Party - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that musicians and artists resident in (a) UK and (b) EU countries are able to tour and perform in (i) EU countries and (ii) the UK respectively without visa requirements following the end of the transition period.
Answered by Oliver Dowden
The Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians and other creative professionals. We acknowledge that there will be some additional processes for those in creative industries working across the EU now that the transition period has come to an end. However, our agreement with the EU contains Transparency and Procedural Facilitation measures that will help ensure visa processes are as prompt and smooth as possible.
During our negotiations with the EU, the UK proposed measures, reflecting the views of the music industry itself, that would have allowed musicians to travel and perform in the UK and the EU more easily, without needing work-permits. Specifically, we proposed to capture the work done by musicians, artists and entertainers, and their accompanying staff through the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors.
In practice this would have delivered an outcome that is closer to the UK’s approach to incoming musicians, artists and entertainers from non-visa national countries, such as EU Member States and the US, who can come to perform in the UK without requiring a visa. Unfortunately, these proposals were repeatedly rejected by the EU.
The EU did not propose and wouldn’t accept a tailored deal for musicians, artists and their support staff to tour across the EU and UK.
Going forward, we will continue our close dialogue with the creative and cultural sectors to ensure that they have the support they need to thrive.The Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians and other creative professionals, and has engaged extensively with the creative industries and arts sector since the announcement of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to ensure they are aware of the new requirements.