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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, hat recent discussions she has had with the Belgian Government to agree bespoke bilateral arrangements for UK musicians seeking to tour in Belgium without restrictions.

This Government is committed to supporting the UK’s creative industries, including musicians, to adapt to new arrangements with the EU.

We have worked extensively with the sector and directly with EU Member States, including Austria and Belgium, to clarify arrangements on the movement of people, goods and haulage. We have worked across government and with industry to develop guidance including ‘landing pages’ on GOV.UK specifically for touring musicians and other creative sectors.

Visa and work permit requirements vary from Member State to Member State, and travellers should always check what requirements they need to fulfil with the EU Member State they are travelling to. That is why we have worked with Member States to ensure their guidance is clear and accessible, and why we have published general business traveller summaries for each Member State on GOV.UK.

More broadly, we have confirmed that:

• Nearly all Member States offer visa and work permit free routes for musicians and creative performers.

• Portable musical instruments, carried or in a vehicle, can be transported cost-free and should not require ATA Carnets; and

• Small ‘splitter vans’ are not subject to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement limits around haulage for the creative sectors and ‘cross trade’. In addition, the Government has introduced dual registration to support specialist hauliers, meaning they can benefit from more generous market access arrangements in Great Britain and the EU.