EU-UK Summit: Visa Waiver Agreement

Lord Berkeley of Knighton Excerpts

Thursday 8th May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Berkeley of Knighton (CB)]

Let us get back to the broader issues—and one of them is this. Culture, whether it be music, dance or drama, depends on the exchange of ideas. What we have at the moment is a profoundly philistine situation, and it is affecting individuals. I have heard from the leaders of opera houses and festivals in Europe that they are—let us put it this way—reluctant to engage British artists at the moment because of the costs.

As the Minister mentioned, we have had recent exchanges on the Floor of the House about this problem, and I was very heartened to hear Brexiteers—people from the right, including the noble Lord, Lord Frost—say that this needs finessing. So please will the Government get on with this with more urgency than the previous Government did?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I add my thanks to all the contributions around this. In this context it is particularly important to recognise that it is not just musicians who are being affected by the situation in Europe; it is a very broad area. I personally have been in contact with opera singers who are struggling to take up short-term pieces of work in Europe, for example. Of course, our concern remains with young people and how they go out and make their mark on a wider stage. So, absolutely, this is a priority, and we should be heartened by the fact that Minister Bryant went over to Poland in February—the first Minister to do so—to build on the relationships, as so much of this is about relationships, making face-to-face contact and making sure that the important matters before us are kept on the agenda.