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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to secure multilateral and bilateral agreements for relaxed cabotage rules for the cultural sector.

The Government is aware of concerns raised by the cultural and creative sectors regarding the impact that cabotage arrangements can have for the cultural sector.

Cabotage terms are governed by international agreements, including the UK‑EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) multilateral permit system, which provides additional but limited access. While there are currently no plans to pursue sector-specific cabotage agreements, the Government engages regularly with international partners to explore opportunities to facilitate transport operations more broadly, including through existing bilateral road haulage agreements where appropriate.

The Government also engages with the EU, EU Member States and wider international partners on barriers affecting cultural exchange, including touring. As part of this engagement, we continue to make the case for practical measures that support the movement of artists, crews, equipment and the specialist services that underpin international exchange, as well as engaging with the cultural and the live touring sector to understand the practical impacts of cultural arrangements, including for organisations that operate ‘own account’ vehicles transporting their own equipment.