UK and EU Trade: Arts and Creative Industries

Baroness Wheatcroft Excerpts

Thursday 11th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

My noble friend raises a really important point. The Government recognise the financial and administrative challenges that withholding tax presents for UK artists touring the EU. We are actively engaged with the sector to better understand the impact and explore ways to mitigate these burdens, but we appreciate that this is a significant burden on those who are already facing challenges touring the EU. As a result of all these questions, I will flag this debate to the incoming Minister so that he is aware of concerns within your Lordships’ House and of the wider issues that the questions highlight.

[Baroness Wheatcroft (CB)]

My Lords, next month the long-delayed additional travel document requirements come in. Have the Government done any work on calculating how much these will add to the delays, particularly for orchestras needing to move instruments through customs with heavy lorries, and how costly this will be?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

All the questions today highlight the significant range of challenges. There are ongoing discussions at a variety of levels within government with the EU as part of the discussions following the EU reset. I will not give a running commentary on negotiations, but I am happy to meet the noble Baroness to talk about this in more detail.