Please complete and share this survey

On Monday 8 February 2021, MPs will discuss a petition relating to arrangements for touring professionals and artists in the EU and will put questions to a Government Minister.

The petition, titled ‘Seek Europe-wide Visa-free work permit for Touring professionals and Artists’, has more than 280,000 signatures as of 29 January. Please consider signing it if you haven’t already done so.

Your responses to this survey will help MPs to understand the issues musicians, artists and other touring professionals are facing and inform what questions they ask the Government. A summary of survey responses will be published on the Parliament website and shared with other MPs taking part in the session. The session will be broadcast and live streamed. What MPs say may be reported in the press and appear on the news, so please don’t share any personal information that you don’t want to be public.

Find out more about the Petitions Committee’s session on this issue

The House of Commons Petitions Committee have asked all those with an interest in these issues to share this survey. Please complete the Survey here.
They want to know about the impact of Brexit on bands and fans@HoCpetitions

Caroline Dinenage MP, Minister for Digital and Culture, will respond for the Government.

Ahead of the session, the Committee has written to the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden MP to ask for clarity on the Government’s negotiations with the EU regarding arrangements for visa-free travel for musicians, in light of recent press reports.

The session comes as sittings in Westminster Hall, the traditional debating Chamber for e-petitions, are suspended and the Government has said it currently has no plans to enable virtual participation. The session will allow petitioners’ concerns to be debated by MPs, including those who are shielding, and will be broadcast live on Parliament TV. The Committee held two similar sessions during the closure of Westminster Hall last year, and has scheduled a further such session on a petition relating to Stamp Duty Land Tax relief for Monday 1 February.

The 90-minute virtual sessions will be open to Members from across the House, including those who are self-isolating or shielding. The sessions will be broadcast live on parliamentlive.tv and on YouTube, and a transcript of each session will be published.

Chair comments

“I’m delighted we have been able to schedule two e-petition sessions, where Members from across the House, including those self-isolating and shielding, will be able to scrutinise the Government directly on issues raised by petitioners.

“As was the case when Westminster Hall was closed due to Covid-19 last year, we have had to innovate to find ways to hold the Government to account, and crucially to voice the concerns of petitioners in the House of Commons, while our usual debates cannot be held.

“As these petitions demonstrate, there are important issues affecting hundreds of thousands of people that are being missed. Their calls for help and support must be heard.”