argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Simon Richard James Fell (Conservative, Centre-right): I have been contacted by a number of constituents on this issue, notably the Furness Tradition group. Could my hon. Friend confirm that, despite some of the reporting in recent days, touring in the EU is still possible for UK artists and musicians, and that the Government are working towards a more formal arrangement with the EU?
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): Quite simply, of course touring is still encouraged. Artists and musicians from the EU are very welcome and encouraged to visit and perform in the UK, and absolutely vice versa. I am sure that individual member states have different restrictions when it comes to visas and work permits; some are very limited, some are a little bit more complicated. This is very much a quid pro quo—it works for the EU as much as it does for our musicians here in the UK—and I am sure that many countries want to come to an arrangement that will allow their musicians to move, travel, work and tour and to take their beautiful music around Europe.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Immigration
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): I am a massive fan of the Edinburgh Fringe and, in fact, of all the Edinburgh festivals. Last summer was the first in any since I can remember that I was not able to go to Edinburgh to see them at first hand and it was something that I missed greatly. Very recently, just before Christmas, I met representatives from across the Edinburgh festivals to talk about all the issues that they are facing, particularly with regard to coronavirus, but others as well. I should correct the hon. Gentleman. It was not for want of trying that we do not have this free movement of our musicians to be able to perform and to tour across the EU or, indeed, vice versa. We fought very hard for it. Our own arrangements with regard to visas and work permits mean that musicians and performers from outside the UK are very welcome to our shores.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): Van Morrison also penned "Brown Eyed Girl", which is my own personal anthem. I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question. Artists and organisations based in Northern Ireland will not be required to obtain ATA carnets or musical instrument certificates when touring in the EU because the Northern Ireland protocol means that Northern Ireland is part of the same regulatory environment for goods as the European Union. Northern Ireland citizens who do not hold Irish citizenship as well will be subject to the same changes as other British citizens on mobility and business travel when going to EU member states, but, of course, not to the Republic of Ireland.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Immigration
Jane Marion Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): A number of my constituents in the entertainments, arts and creative industries have contacted me setting out the impacts that the new immigration restrictions will have on their livelihoods. It is clear that the UK Government strived to gain a mutually beneficial agreement with the EU. Will the Minister therefore set out what steps the Government are taking to continue to urge the EU to return to the negotiating table and reopen discussions to reach a more preferable agreement for all parties? May I take this opportunity on behalf of my constituents to ask the EU to reconsider its position?
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): I was not aware of the hon. Lady’s band and I wish them the very best of luck in their endeavours to defend their fantastic title. If the tour they are going on is not paid by the individual venues they are visiting, there may not be an issue here. The band would have to discuss that with individual member states to get clarity on that, but I am very happy to speak to her further about it.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Other
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): As ever, my hon. Friend makes an excellent point. There are so many facets to this issue that we need to keep in mind as we move forward. That is certainly something that I am very happy to talk to him further about.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend hits the nail on the head. What we need to do now is to move forward. We need to come forward with sensible proactive solutions for the UK music sector. The industry itself has said that what we need now is clarity, not recriminations. That is what we are working to provide and we very much appreciate support from across the House for us to do that.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is such a great champion for businesses in her local area, particularly those that have been so badly affected, not just by covid, but by the very disappointing EU refusal to accept our very reasonable propositions. She will know that the sector has benefited from a range of different support measures over the last year that were put in place because of covid, but we do need to support it moving forward. The EU’s proposal would not have worked because it would not have supported the valuable support workers in my right hon. Friend’s constituency to do their work. Quite simply, without them, touring would not be possible.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Immigration
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): I have to correct the right hon. Gentleman. The document does not say 90 days visa-free touring by UK musicians; it is a lot more opaque than that, which is why we could not simply sign up to it. It just would not have delivered what we needed for our musicians, and it flew in the face of what the British public voted for in the case of controlling our borders. As I have already said, I will speak to colleagues across BEIS and the Home Office to see what further details on the negotiations we can publish.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Richard John Holden (Conservative, Centre-right): As you know, Mr Speaker, the north of England has helped to form and then exported some of the biggest musicians and bands across the world in recent decades. Touring is not a "nice to have"; it is an absolute financial necessity for musicians from both the UK and the EU. Can the Minister confirm that it was the UK Government who pushed for a more ambitious agreement with the EU on temporary movement of business travellers, and that it was the EU that unreasonably rejected this proposal?
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Immigration
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course I recognise that this is not the solution that we would have wanted, and it is not the solution that we fought really hard for. I point out to the hon. Lady that the Labour party voted for this deal in the full knowledge of what it involved, including the end to freedom of movement.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Dean Russell (Conservative, Centre-right): From The Horns to the Colosseum to the Palace Theatre, music literally beats at the heart of my constituency of Watford. That means that we have many amazing musicians. They are asking me whether my hon. Friend can confirm that it was not the UK that ended these visas, and what measures are going forward to support this amazing sector?
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank you, Mr Speaker, and the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire (Pete Wishart) for providing the opportunity to help the Minister correct the misleading social media chatter among professional musicians and other performance artists, and from Opposition Members, about exactly where the responsibility lies for this situation. Will she confirm my impression that the European Union negotiators appear to have rather cynically used and abused the interests of its musicians and its music fans to undermine the United Kingdom Government’s commitment to its own citizens around regaining control of our borders? However ungrateful and ungracious the Musicians’ Union has been in regard to my hon. Friend’s efforts—
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right that we did fight very hard for this. We understand this not just for performers from the UK, but—he is absolutely right—for performers from the EU as well, because the UK music scene is, I would say, the best in the world, and putting any obstacles or tests in the way of EU performers coming here is a very difficult position for them as well. We are a lot more forthcoming: we do not put in place work permits, and we have a lot more sensitive approaches to visas for performers coming across from the EU. It would have been lovely for that to have been the situation right across all EU member states as well.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Immigration
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, of course, we will keep that negotiation open and try to make things as simple and as painless as possible. Our door remains open if the EU wants to come back and look at this again. Where visas apply, our agreement with the EU does contain measures that will help to ensure that processes are as prompt and smooth as possible, and we will work to exploit those as much as we can.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Domestic Commerce
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is right to say how incredibly successful our music industry is around the world, and that is why we fought so hard to get much better arrangements in the agreement. What we need to do now is ensure that our sectors are prepared to face any challenges in the future, which is why we are continuing those dialogues with them to understand the ongoing impacts and challenges that may be faced. We need to ensure that they have the right support at the right time and do everything we can to work with other member states to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Damian Noel Thomas Collins (Conservative, Centre-right): In addition to trying to improve visa-free travel for musicians, could my hon. Friend say whether the Government hope to progress on easing the movement of musical equipment from country to country within Europe, so that it is not treated like any other physical goods, and on easing the cabotage restrictions for festivals and bands? Finally, can she confirm whether EU-based music showcases fall under the short business trip exemption for conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions? These showcases are often so important in making the careers of developing talent.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): With regard to the haulage—the cabotage—that has not been imposed just on us because we have left the EU. They are rules that apply to both UK and EU haulage firms. I want to speak more about this with colleagues in the Department for Transport and with European colleagues to see what more can be done to address it. It impacts not just us but companies that are moving musical equipment across Europe, no matter which European member state they come from. As for my hon. Friend’s other question, if performers are visiting in a business capacity, that is to negotiate a future tour, for any other scoping arrangements or for various other things, that would fall under the business visa waiver. It is always really important to check the individual rules of that EU nation—that member state—to ensure that they do not have anything that would need to be abided by.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Immigration
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend has just hit the nail on the head, and does so in a much more articulate way than I could. That is absolutely right: the deal is still on the table and our door is open for the EU to come back and take up that deal if it wants to. In the short term, we are speaking to member states bilaterally about the visa regime and whether there is any facilitation, as opposed to a waiver, that could be put in place. What the sector now needs is certainty and for us to be able to put in place the guidance and support for it to move forward.
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Robin John Millar (Conservative, Centre-right): A single European tour may visit dozens of venues, employing hundreds of people skilled in everything from logistics to finance, lighting, pyrotechnics, costumes and more to make it a success. What reassurances can my hon. Friend give people like Aberconwy resident and experienced front-of-house engineer Berenice Hardman that practical arrangements such as visas, carnets and cabotage will be easier and simpler for them to deal with in the future?
UK Musicians: EU Visa Arrangements — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Immigration
Caroline Julia Dinenage (Conservative, Centre-right): The assurance I would give my hon. Friend’s constituent is that we will be having conversations with colleagues across all the nation states of the EU to see what measures we can put in place to facilitate the arrangements. Some of them have very straightforward arrangements right now—some of them do not impose extra work permits, and some are very flexible when it comes to their visas, and others less so. We need to speak to them to ensure that these arrangements can be as smooth, fast and easy to understand as possible, and that is the key to us being able to move forward.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: Lords amendment 2, and Government motion to disagree Lords amendment 3, Government motion to disagree, and amendment (a) in lieu Lords amendment 4, and Government motion to disagree Lords amendment 5, and Government motion to disagree Lords amendment 6, and Government motion to disagree Lords amendment 7, and Government motion to disagree Lords amendment 8, and Government motion to disagree Lords amendment 9, and Government amendments (a) and (b) thereto Lords amendment 10, and Government amendment (a) thereto Lords amendments 11 to 31.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): I am going to make a bit more progress. Finally, I remind the House that ultimately if Parliament is not content with a trade deal that we have negotiated, it has statutory powers, under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, to prevent ratification by resolving against ratification indefinitely. That is in addition to Parliament’s power to vote down any necessary implementing legislation, again thereby preventing ratification That brings me on to Lords amendment 5. I suggest to the House that this amendment is unnecessary, as it covers things that the Government are already doing, or that are established precedent of the UK as a dualist state. The Government are already under a statutory obligation to publish an explanatory memorandum when a treaty is laid before Parliament. As Members will have seen, in section 5 of our explanatory memorandum to our agreement with Japan, we set out how we would implement the agreement and where legislation would be required. We, as a dualist state, have well established precedents for putting in place implementing legislation place before ratification of a treaty. If we did not do so, we would risk the UK being in breach of its international obligations. We have no desire to change this established way of working.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (Conservative, Centre-right): I understand the point my right hon. Friend is making, and we do not have a free trade deal with China at the moment, and we are not likely to, but many of us for years have been frustrated that every time we try to raise genocide in this place in terms of trade deals, we are told that it is subject to the international courts, and that China, Russia or other countries in the UN Security Council have a veto on the matter. Is there any way we can acknowledge that genocide is taking place in a country when we do a trade deal, without losing parliamentary control of our trade deals, and without getting trade deals bogged down for months or even years in courts?
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Order. I do not think we should go much further down this line. I have 59 Back-Bench Members who wish to participate in this scrutiny now, so let us not go down the rabbit hole of scrutiny but stick to the purpose of the amendments before us.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): I had hoped that we might manage at least the first part of this consideration without a formal time limit, but I will have to impose a time limit initially of six minutes, at the absolute outside—in the hope that Members will take less time than that.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Other
Liam Fox (Conservative, Centre-right): I will not—my hon. Friend will forgive me—given the constrictions on time It would have been possible to create a system that allowed us to do that. The House would have been happy that Parliament would have been able to set those parameters, and not anyone else.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Other
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): Before I call the next hon. Member, I give notice that the time limit will be reduced to four minutes after the Chairman of the Select Committee, the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Angus Brendan MacNeil). We have three more colleagues on six minutes; thereafter, four minutes. I call Shabana Mahmood.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Other
George Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is completely wrong. It is absolutely clear that that remains the right of the Government, and I read out what the Government spokesman said in the Lords. If they wish, they can change it—I do not say whether they want to or not, but it is in there; it is our right as Parliament to do that.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Other
Nigel Martin Evans (Conservative, Centre-right): Before I call Gary Sambrook, for the information of the House and those contributing from outside the Chamber, Minister Greg Hands will respond to the debate at 5.39 pm, and the first Division will be called at 5.54 pm. I understand that there may be several Divisions thereafter.
Trade Bill — House of Commons, 2021-01-19
Topic: Mixed Topics
Gregory William Hands (Conservative, Centre-right): No The Government have no plans to negotiate a trade agreement with China, but it does seem that the right hon. Lady might I turn to my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith). We know that he is passionate on the issue and we know he has had a long-standing interest. We have worked together on many aspects and on trade. He is right that it is for the UK to shine a light across the world. I do not disagree with any of his passionate statements about human rights and genocide. However, we also in this country shine a light around the world by making good law. The scope of his amendment is very wide. It would cover not just free trade agreements, but potential trade agreements, and agreements that the UK might hope to accede to. It covers not only bilateral agreements, but plurilateral and global agreements—even WTO agreements. I do not think it would be right for the Government to wait for the human rights in a country to reach the level of genocide, which is the most egregious international crime, before halting free trade agreement negotiations. Any responsible Government would have acted before then It is also unclear what is meant by preliminary determination procedure. The nature of that procedure has not, I believe, been thought through. As a matter of international law, it is individuals not states who commit genocide. Therefore, in requiring a preliminary determination as to whether a state has committed genocide, it is also unclear what both amendments would actually require a court to deliver What the official spokesman for the SNP, the hon. Member for Dundee East (Stewart Hosie), did not say is that it is the SNP’s policy to rejoin the EU.