Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he discussed EU-UK reciprocal visa-free touring for musicians with Maroš Šefčovič at their meeting on 11 February 2021.

The arrangements for touring musicians between the UK and the EU relate to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and not the Withdrawal Agreement which was the subject of the meeting on 11 February between the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Maroš Šefčovič.

The Government recognises the importance of the UK’s world leading cultural and creative industries, and we are now focused on helping the sector work as confidently as possible in the EU. DCMS has established a Working Group of sector representatives and other key government departments to look at the issues facing the creative and cultural sectors when touring the EU.

The date of the first meetings of the committees set up under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement will be announced in due course, when we have agreed with the EU.