Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to Question 121975 on Musicians: EU Countries, what recent engagement her Department has had with (a) the European Commission, (b) Members of the European Parliament and (c) the sector on improving access to touring visas for UK artists performing in the EU.

This government recognises that current visa arrangements can create real challenges for the Creative Industries, whose work often involves moving between multiple countries over short periods. We are working closely with the music industry to assess the impact on the sector and remain in open and constructive dialogue with the EU, with a view to improving arrangements across the European continent.

Most recently, on 24th March, I attended the first UK-European Commission High-Level Meeting on Culture where I met with Commissioner Micallef (Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport). This marked a step forward since the inaugural UK-EU Summit in May last year, where we committed to deepening UK-EU cultural exchange, including the activities of touring artists.

Government and industry are also working together in this effort, including through the new Cultural Exchange Coalition (CEC). I attended a panel session on 24th March at the European Parliament, hosted by MEPs Hannes Heide and Bogdan Zdrojewski in collaboration with the CEC, focused on strengthening UK-EU cultural exchange, including removing barriers to cross-border touring. The Government remains committed to securing improvements for our creative and cultural sectors and continuing to work closely with industry to ensure that these issues are clearly evidenced and understood.