Extracts from second reading debate (Lords) of the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill - Dec 30
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The Earl of Sandwich (CB) [V]: My Lords, of course I feel some
relief—as anyone would—that we did not fall off the cliff edge of
no deal, but I am not joining in the fanfare. Bill Cash compares
the PM to Pericles and our EU membership to subjugation. I prefer
Margaret Beckett’s word “salvation”, because this incomplete deal
could have been done weeks, if not months, ago. It would have been
just as incomplete then, but it would have satisfied the farmers,
manufacturers, SMEs,...Request free
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The Earl
of Sandwich (CB) [V]: My Lords, of course I feel
some relief—as anyone would—that we did not fall off the cliff edge
of no deal, but I am not joining in the fanfare. Bill Cash compares the
PM to Pericles and our EU membership to subjugation. I prefer
Margaret Beckett’s word “salvation”, because this incomplete deal
could have been done weeks, if not months, ago. It would have been
just as incomplete then, but it would have satisfied the farmers,
manufacturers, SMEs, students, musicians and many others
whose livelihoods have been damaged, even wrecked, by the delays.
What was all that about preparation? How can anyone be proud of
setting up a massive lorry park against no deal, when it turned out
to have a completely different and unexpected use in the pandemic?
That was lucky, was it not?
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD) [V]:...Mutual recognition for cultural professionals, musicians actors and artists is left out of the agreement, as has already been mentioned. I declare an interest as a trustee of the VOCES8 Foundation. Many of us will seek written assurance from the Government that mutual recognition will be negotiated... Baroness Bakewell (Lab) [V]:...I registered the fact that the noble Lord was also a shadow Culture Secretary, so I want to endorse his interest there by speaking about the damage that this agreement will do to the cultural life and artistic reputation of this country—indeed, it is already doing so. Last week, a professional trumpeter was sent an invitation to audition for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. Yesterday, he received a letter cancelling that audition because we are no longer in the EU, so he is not able to participate in an audition. This damage is already happening. The youth orchestra of Europe no longer invites young British musicians to audition to belong to that remarkable institution. We are already losing out. In this regrettable settlement, which I disapprove of, there is still time to do something about it. The problem with travel for performers of all kinds is that it is damaged by our leaving the EU. They will not have freedom of movement and their careers will be at risk. These people include classical musicians jazz musicians pop musicians artists, actors, dancers, photographers and filmmakers. They will all suffer unless the Government institute a visa-free cultural work passport—I put this to them, and please will they do so—that avoids their having to apply for a visa to each of the 27 countries where they want to travel, tour and be distinguished. There is also the carnet which they have to have to carry their equipment with them. This will make a huge difference but without it the earning capacity of this country through its cultural life will fall. At the moment, the creative industries are worth £110 billion and the arts earn £13 billion for this country. This problem needs remedying... Baroness Bull (CB):...The cultural sector is particularly ill served, with visa-free travel seemingly denied to working performers, artists and musicians who now face new burdens of admin, carnets and costs. The absence of any creative, cultural or media services and occupations in the SERVIN 3 and 4 lists of suppliers and independent professionals will impact across music, film and TV, dance, theatre, journalism, gigging, photography, fashion and more. The Prime Minister spoke this morning of “restoring a great British industry”— he meant fishing— “to the eminence that it deserves”,
but one cost of this has been the sacrifice of services,
including the creative industries, which really are one of the
truly great British industries of today. The Minister assured me
in yesterday’s very helpful briefing that performing artists and
musicians are in fact covered in the deal, but I
still struggle to understand how. Perhaps he could clarify this
on the record today and, subsequently, in writing to the
House... “a reciprocal arrangement … so that UK musicians could work short term within the EU”.—[Official Report, 3/6/20; col. 1360.] Yet the agreement we are debating today fails, I am afraid, to achieve this. musicians and crew are not included on the list of workers for short-term visits without a permit, meaning that they will now face additional costs and bureaucracy when touring EU member states in future. Can the Minister please explain why the negotiations failed in this regard and why it has been reserved under pages 695 and 733 of the agreement? Will he please take this opportunity to reassure the House that the UK Government will seek a supplementary agreement with the EU to rectify the issue of work permits for musicians to minimise the disruption and damage that the new arrangement will cause to our much-valued music industry?
The Earl of Clancarty
(CB):...It is a wretched arrangement for services. There
is no mobility framework, even though this is essential for
effective trade in services with the rest of Europe. In respect
of the creative industries, particularly the performing arts,
will the Minister clarify what arrangements will be made for
short-term work for artists? Can he confirm that musicians and other artists will
operate under mode 4 and will be included in the list of exempted
independent professionals? Moreover, artists urgently require a
long-term visa-free permit valid across the EU that also obviates
the necessity for carnets for touring equipment. Will the
Government negotiate this? Will the Minister look at the
arrangements for independent professionals as they affect IT
work, which will be damaging if agencies are excluded from the
provision of work, as specified in the agreement, since the
majority of such work abroad comes through agencies? |