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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from touring creative service companies regarding the arrangements in the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement; and what assessment they have made of those representations.

UK performers and artists are of course still able to tour and perform in the EU, and vice versa. However, we understand the concerns about the new arrangements and we are working with the creative and cultural sectors to help them get to grips with the changes to systems and processes.

As the Secretary of State has said, we have moved at pace and with urgency on plans to support the creative sectors to tour in Europe. We have engaged with touring creative service companies, including through the DCMS-led working group. Sector representatives on the working group are encouraged to reach out to others to ensure the working group hears and understands the views and concerns of organisations and individuals right across the cultural and creative sectors. Engagement with the sector has been extremely helpful and we are grateful for the cooperation of numerous organisations.

Through our bilateral discussions with EU Member States, we have established that in at least 17 out of 27 Member States some touring activities are possible without visas or work-permits. The UK has significantly more generous arrangements for touring professionals than many Member States, and should they be willing to change their rules to match ours we will have those discussions and encourage them to do so.