PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
British Musical Acts: International Promotion - 3 July 2025 (Commons/Commons Chamber)

The new music growth package will invest up to £30 million to help emerging British artists access international markets with support for touring, showcasing and export promotion.

I welcome anything the Government bring forward to support our new bands and musicians across the country, but the big thing that so many musicians are asking for is that we get touring rights sorted out with our European counterparts. Could the Minister update the House on what progress there has been, if any, and how we can go further to get our bands out there and their bands over here?

If only the right hon. Gentleman had been a Minister in the previous Government, when they failed to take the deal that was on offer from the European Union. I am absolutely determined to get this sorted. We got something—[Interruption.] If he wants to start promoting creative industries abroad, he might start thinking about film—for instance, “Chicken Run”. We want to make sure that British acts can prosper across the whole of Europe, and I am talking not just about the big names like Dua Lipa; I am also talking about young acts like Otto Aday, who performed at the Rhondda Arts Festival on Saturday and was amazing, and Caitlin Lavagna, whose song “Run a Mile” perhaps would suit the right hon. Gentleman.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

May I associate my party with the words said about Diogo Jota? It is a tragic loss to the world of football.

A few weeks ago, we stood in this place and talked about the UK-EU reset deal. My party welcomed the moderate progress, but we think the Government should go further, particularly on touring artists. The Minister asked us to talk about this with our European liberal colleagues. We have started those discussions. Can he update us on his discussions and reassure us that this is on the agenda for the next review? If he does not give us any good news soon on Europe, will he admit that we are close to the final countdown?

I had a horrible fear how that question was going to end. It is really important that we win this battle. This has to be a campaign that we wage across all of Europe—we need to get every single capital city in Europe on our side to make sure that, by the time we get to the next EU-UK summit, we can get this over the line. British acts are desperately wanted, apart from anything else, in lots of different venues and arts festivals across the whole of Europe. I have spoken to the commissioner who is in charge of this. I have also spoken to four of my European counterparts. My intention is to get round every single one of them so that we can get this over the line.