(Worsley and Eccles South)
(Lab): In his Budget speech, the Chancellor said he wanted to
recognise the contribution of our creative industries and the
tourism that comes from orchestras, museums, galleries and
theatres. It was welcome that the Budget made permanent the tax
reliefs they can claim. However, this Budget comes at a time when
funding for our arts and culture sector is widely seen to be in
crisis. Local authorities are the biggest funders of arts and
culture, but years of cuts from Conservative-led Governments mean
that the funding previously spent on supporting orchestras to
work in communities, investing in grassroots music venues or
strengthening the pipeline of talent into the music industry has
fallen by 43% since 2010. The Local Government Association
reports that more than a third of local authorities are saying
that they need to make cost savings on arts and culture to
balance the books. That balancing of the books has become ever
harder at a time of increasing need for social care, children’s
services and support for homelessness.
The decline of support for music is most worrying in music
education, where music and art subjects are being squeezed out
for pupils in state schools. There has been a drop in the number
of music teachers, a drop in the number of hours music is taught,
a drop in the take-up of music subjects at GCSE and A-level, and
a drop in funding in state schools. Just 15% of state-school
students receive sustained music tuition compared with half of
children at independent schools, which still believe in music
education.
Music hubs have a vital role in providing high-quality music
education, providing it to 87% of schools in England, yet the
funding for music hubs has declined in real terms over the last
decade. Their financial viability will come under even further
threat in September if the Government end their funding of the
teachers’ pension scheme for the thousands of music teachers
engaged by music hubs. This has only been extended to August, so
there is a great deal of uncertainty. By not addressing this
issue and by bringing about the decline of music education in
state schools, the Government risk losing music teachers,
future musicians and the
audiences of the future. They also fail to offer children access
to an activity with many benefits for their academic, social and
emotional development.
There are further challenges for the music industry.
For musicians looking to
tour overseas, the Government’s failure to negotiate a touring
agreement with the EU has had devastating impacts on pay and
career progression, particularly for developing artists. Added to
that, we have failings at His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in
issuing A1 forms on time, and that is causing long delays and
financial penalties for UK musicians who tour
Europe. It is not acceptable that touring musicians are now
waiting up to a year to be paid due to HMRC’s failings.
Musicians hoping to play closer to home in one of England’s
brilliant music venues or one of our festivals may now find fewer
options. Over 125 grassroots music venues were lost in 2023,
according to the Music Venue Trust, and 15 festivals have already
been forced to postpone or cancel this year. Music events are
important for the visitor economy. UK Music estimates that over
14 million music tourists come to the UK every year, and they
spend £6.5 billion while they are here. The Music Venue Trust
reports that every £10 spent on a live music ticket is worth £17
to the area’s local economy. Grassroots venues are where
many musicians learn their
trade. The Bath music venue Moles helped to launch the careers of
Ed Sheeran, Oasis and Radiohead, but it was one of the 15% of
grassroot music venues that closed their doors last year.
The Budget missed many opportunities for the Government to help
the music industry, and Ministers have failed to address the
issues I have raised. Today my right hon. and learned Friend the
Leader of the Opposition said
“It is short-sighted and frankly immoral, to allow arts and
culture to become the domain of a few privileged pupils… Britain
is a world leader in music and film, but we are holding back
masses of potential because the Conservatives’ creativity crisis
is shutting kids out.”
Fourteen years of Conservative Governments undervaluing culture
and music have created that creativity crisis, and I am delighted
that Labour’s mission is to break down the barrier to opportunity
in music in the arts. Labour’s former Culture Secretary, , said that he
believed his role from 1997 to 2001 was about
“all the things that for ordinary people make life worth
living.”
If elected, Labour will unleash a generation of creativity, so
that every child gets access to creative subjects, not just the
privileged few, and I welcome that.
(Glasgow Central) (SNP): I
will touch first on arts funding. As a Member of Parliament who
has a number of arts institutions based in my Glasgow Central
constituency, I gently welcome the theatre, orchestra, museums
and galleries exhibition tax relief. The Royal Scottish National
Orchestra has said that the relief
“ensures the RSNO remains committed to serving Scotland’s
communities, concert halls and schools.”
However, that comes in a wider context, as the Musicians’
Union has pointed out, of cuts to the arts over many
years. It has talked about the impact of a decade of austerity.
General secretary Naomi Pohl said that she fears “frankly, we are
stuffed” if a Labour Government do not put money into the arts.
There needs to be some change to ensure that our music and arts
venues can continue.
