Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con):...The Government’s response to two
related issues was disappointing. The first was the extra costs of
creative professionals moving their equipment across borders and
the need for costly ATA carnets. The second was the impact on the
specialist touring haulier industry of cabotage restrictions. The
creative sector, especially musicians of the classical and pop
variety, and the tours they make, are hugely important to the UK.
We need a better response. I hope...Request free trial
(Con):...The Government’s response to two
related issues was disappointing. The first was the extra costs of
creative professionals moving their equipment across borders and
the need for costly ATA carnets. The second was the impact on the
specialist touring haulier industry of cabotage restrictions. The
creative sector, especially musicians of the classical and pop
variety, and the tours they make, are hugely important to the UK.
We need a better response. I hope that my noble friend the Minister
can update us or write, and that the European Affairs Committee,
with its new energy, will be interested in taking this issue
forward...
(Con)
[V]:...Secondly, a combination of Covid and new rules
restricting travel to the UK for artists and creative support teams
from the EU has increased costs and reduced opportunities for many
festivals and events organisers. Can my noble friend confirm that
the Government will continue to work with the EU and with member
states to make it easier and cheaper for touring performers and
crews to travel both to and from the UK?
(Lab) [V]:...When we are looking to the
future, as I think the noble and learned Lord, Lord Thomas, is
right to suggest we have to, on some issues we may be able to make
progress. We might be able to make progress on short-term mobility,
which is particularly important for the creative sector, our
musicians and all the rest; but
we will have to recognise that such progress will require
reciprocal action on our part. If we take an ideological approach,
as I believe the Government do, to ending freedom of movement, they
will find an agreement on this difficult to negotiate. If we set
aside the ideology, we might get somewhere on mobility...
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department
for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ()
(Con):...I will now turn to some of the specific points
raised by noble Lords in the debate. My noble friends Lord
Trenchard and Lady Neville-Rolfe raised the knotty issue of
touring musicians which I know has
exercised a number of others in this House. Officials have now
spoken to every member state about the importance of touring. DCMS
Ministers have also raised touring with their counterparts in a
number of member states, including Portugal and Austria. Through
this engagement, we have established that the picture is better
than previously thought, and that some touring activities may be
possible in at least 18 member states without visas or work
permits. This includes many of the most economically important
countries, such as France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the
Netherlands and Italy. DCMS, via our embassies, is engaging with
those member states that do not have any visa or permit-free
touring, such as Spain, calling on them to more closely align their
arrangements with the UK’s generous domestic regime. DCMS Ministers
are personally involved in the engagement with these priority
countries. I hope that reassures my noble friends...
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