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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Barran on 19 January (HL Deb, col 1085), on what date their proposals for enabling musicians to travel and perform in the EU without work permits was rejected; and what explanation they were given for this rejection.

During negotiations with the EU, the UK repeatedly pushed to capture the work done by musicians, artists and entertainers, and their accompanying staff, through the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors. This would have allowed musicians and support staff to travel and perform in the UK and the EU more easily, without needing work-permits.

The UK made an offer to the EU which reflected the input of experts from the music sector. This was a straightforward solution for our creative industries which would have benefited all sides.

The EU turned down our proposals on the basis that musicians were providing a service which they viewed as necessitating a work permit and/or visa.