Bambos Charalambous (Enfield, Southgate) (Lab): I thank the many
constituents who contacted me to ask for this debate. I also thank
my hon. Friend the Member for Worsley and Eccles South (Barbara
Keeley), who cannot speak in this debate owing to her Front-Bench
role. I know that she, along with my hon. Friend the Member for
Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty), has been campaigning
on behalf of the BBC orchestras and the BBC Singers. The subject of
classical music is...Request free trial
(Enfield, Southgate)
(Lab): I thank the many constituents who contacted me to ask for
this debate. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Worsley
and Eccles South (), who cannot speak in this
debate owing to her Front-Bench role. I know that she, along with
my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (), has been campaigning on
behalf of the BBC orchestras and the BBC Singers.
The subject of classical music is close to my heart, with a
number of musicians living in my
Enfield Southgate constituency. Classical music is a crucial part
of the cultural infrastructure of London and the UK. Our
orchestras are world renowned, as are our opera companies,
chamber music groups and highly skilled freelance
classical musicians It is no
coincidence that a large number of Hollywood and UK producers
choose to have film and TV soundtracks recorded at Abbey Road
Studios or AIR Studios in London. Producers choose to have
recordings made in London because of the renowned ability of the
UK’s classical musicians to sight-read
brilliantly and accurately. Classically trained musicians are therefore
at the forefront of one of the sectors that is currently driving
economic growth in the UK, despite the low overall growth of the
economy.
The music sector adds significantly to the economy—£4 billion in
2021—and is part of our cultural backbone and national identity.
Our classical music scene is rightly a source of pride here at
home and a source of admiration abroad. Yet despite the UK’s
international reputation in the field, we have recently seen
several devastating funding decisions for the whole of the UK
classical music ecosystem. It is important to stress that the
classical music industry is indeed an ecosystem.
In the UK, our highly trained classical musicians tend to move
between freelance and employed roles in both commercial and less
commercial employment. For instance, many forge their careers in
orchestral positions before going freelance in the recording
session world, or vice versa. Damage to one part of that
infrastructure therefore damages all of it.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for securing a debate on this massive
issue. He is right about the creation of jobs in classical music.
I make this point for those who are at a very early stage —those
who are school-age and in education. Some people back home in my
constituency of Strangford forged their opportunity through
education. They had the chance to play classical instruments in
their formative years, and tuition and instruments were available
as well. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that we should think about
those who, had they not had that opportunity at school and in
education, would never have reached the pinnacle of achievement
they have reached? We look to the Minister and the Department to
ensure that young people have that opportunity and can thereby
forge that classical route for the rest of their life and give
enjoyment to everyone else.
The hon. Gentleman makes an excellent point. Music education
should also be part of this conversation. It may be outside the
scope of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, but we need
to make sure that young people have that musical education and
also careers to go into. If we cut the orchestras, we cut the
opportunities for people who pick up a musical instrument in
school and want to progress in the field of music.
The recent devastating decisions to which I just referred are, of
course, those taken by bodies such as Arts Council England and
the BBC. They are going to negatively affect the funding of the
English National Opera, the Britten Sinfonia, the Welsh National
Opera, Glyndebourne’s touring opera and, of course, all the BBC
orchestras in England. In addition, decisions have been taken to
reduce funding to established orchestras such as the London
Symphony, the London Philharmonic and the Philharmonia.
Thankfully, we heard last week that the BBC Singers have been
given a temporary stay of execution, but this reversal came only
after a huge public outcry, and the reversal itself calls into
question how such decisions have been taken. More than 150,000
people have signed a petition condemning the cuts, and there have
been open letters from appalled global leaders in classical
music, including more than 800 composers and many choral
groups.
(Bromley and Chislehurst)
(Con)
I warmly congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing this debate.
He and I were at a meeting yesterday with members of the company
of the English National Opera. They are in the most precarious
situation, because they simply do not know whether they will have
sufficient work to keep their families in necessities after the
end of this season. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the
behaviour of the Arts Council—the supposed promoter of excellence
in the arts in England—has actually been the reverse of what is
supposed to happen? By hitting companies such as the English
National Opera, the most accessible of our opera companies, and
touring companies such as Glyndebourne and the English tours of
the Welsh National Opera, the Arts Council is reducing the spread
of excellence in art to people outside London, rather than
spreading it out. That is the exact reverse of what the previous
Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Mid
Bedfordshire (Ms Dorries), told it to do. It makes no sense at
all, does it?
The hon. Gentleman makes an excellent point. I will address that
issue later, but it is true that the companies that have been cut
do a lot of touring work and provide access to parts of the UK
that would not necessarily be able to access orchestras or
opera.
It is important to note that the BBC Singers’ future still
remains highly uncertain, with no plan outlined for their future
security. Meanwhile, the BBC is still planning to cut the budgets
of its concert, philharmonic and symphony orchestras by 20%. I
know that the Minister will argue that the Government do not have
direct responsibility for the cuts I am referring to, made as
they are by both the BBC and Arts Council England, but let us be
clear: the relationships that the Government have with those
bodies have a profound influence on the decisions that are taken.
It is the Government who set the political environment and the
cultural zeitgeist in which decisions are taken. While it is
right that the arm’s length bodies are operationally independent,
it is also right that major decisions that impact on our cultural
and artistic ecosystem can be challenged and questioned.
In the case of the Arts Council England funding announcement for
2023 to 2026, the then Secretary of State, the right hon. Member
for Mid Bedfordshire (Ms Dorries), set a directive that told the
body where its funding should go. That brings into question the
arm’s length principle on which Arts Council England was founded.
There is a lack of transparency in how recent decisions at the
BBC and the Arts Council have been reached. The Government can,
if they choose, create an environment in which classical music is
nurtured by the arm’s length bodies taking decisions on the
ground, but sadly, what we see at the moment is the opposite.
Therefore, I would be very interested to hear from the Minister
how the Government plan to support our classical music
infrastructure against the recent onslaught of damaging
decisions.
First, I want to speak in more detail about a couple of those
decisions. Let us look at Arts Council England’s decision to cut
the English National Opera’s annual grant of £12.6 million and
replace it with £17 million over three years, with a stipulation
that the ENO must move out of London. That decision was announced
in November 2022, but in January of this year, Arts Council
England announced a review of opera and musical theatre. That
review is called “Let’s Create”, but some may think it would be
better named “Let’s Destroy” following Arts Council England’s
cuts to the ENO and other national portfolio organisations. What
sort of chaotic organisation makes the decision to cut first and
carry out a review later?
Following a large public outcry and campaigns by the Musicians’
Union and Equity, it was announced in January that the national
lottery would make an additional grant to the ENO of £11.46
million. That still represents a cut of 9%, and the uncertainty
about the ENO’s future and its need to relocate has meant that
productions for this year have been cancelled. Redundancies have
also been made in the ENO Chorus, which is one of the most
diverse choruses in Europe.
Those decisions by Arts Council England appear to have been
informed by the levelling-up agenda, plus the direct instruction
of the then Secretary of State to move money away from London.
However, the ENO has long been at the forefront of offering a
commendable outreach programme to local communities and has a
strong record of supplying free tickets to the young, as well as
relaxed performances for those with sensory needs. Forcing the
move of the ENO with the likely loss of its existing orchestra
and technicians will not lead to levelling up, but to levelling
down overall. The Government really need to step in to ensure
that the cultural infrastructure of London is not damaged
irrevocably by decisions such as this and the others I mentioned
earlier. One area’s cultural offer should not be damaged in the
name of another’s.
That brings me to another set of worrying decisions: those taken
at the BBC. Again, these have taken place within the cultural
climate and overall policy agenda set by the Government. As I
stated before, the BBC’s decision to take the axe to the BBC
Singers appears to have been reversed for now, but how appalling
it is to even contemplate dismantling one of the world’s most
renowned ensembles in what will be its centenary year.
(Woking) (Con)
Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the BBC needs to be very
careful about the licence fee? My understanding is that we pay
the licence fee so that the BBC can have top-notch news coverage
and to support all of our most important cultural attributes as a
nation, including classical music and opera. Is the BBC not
treading on thin ice by taking these sorts of decisions? It is
the breadth and depth of its cultural and news offering that
makes the BBC what it is.
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: the BBC is a public
broadcaster, and it therefore has a public duty to do things that
are not available elsewhere. However, we have to look at that in
the context of what the BBC has been forced to do. It, too, has
had to make cuts because the licence fee has been
frozen—something that I will come to later on in my speech. The
hon. Gentleman is right, though, about the duty of the BBC to
provide things that are not provided elsewhere, which I will also
come to in a second.
The most serious threat to the BBC orchestras remains, which is
the proposed cut to 20% of orchestral jobs across the BBC’s
English orchestras. It is important to note that these cuts come
after more than a decade of successive Conservative Governments
hammering the BBC’s funding. Ever since 2010, the BBC has faced
repeated and deep real-terms spending cuts, and in 2022 the
licence fee was frozen for two years. The BBC has said that that
is expected to create a funding gap of about £400 million by
2027. That is the important context in which the BBC has taken
these decisions. While it is right that the BBC is operationally
independent, it is also right that major decisions that impact on
our cultural and artistic ecosystem can be challenged and
questioned. As a public service broadcaster, the BBC has a public
duty of care to its orchestras and ensembles, and it also has a
duty to provide excellent, accessible and inspiring content to
the public.
Make no mistake: the proposed 20% loss of jobs across the BBC’s
English orchestras is devastating to our classical music
infrastructure. The cuts are of course damaging to the highly
skilled musicians who face
losing their jobs, but they also have serious implications for
the wider classical music industry. The BBC has often nurtured
new orchestral talent with the career pathway it provides for
orchestral players. The BBC is also the largest employer
of musicians in the
classical music workforce, which is generally insecure and
freelance.
Let us be clear about what these orchestras represent: the BBC
Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic
Orchestra are internationally renowned and made up of some of the
world’s finest musicians They are
loved across the country for their touring role and for
performing at the BBC Proms, including opening and closing the
festival. My hon. Friend the Member for Worsley and Eccles South
has rightly praised the importance of the BBC orchestras to the
quality of the UK’s classical music output and the musicians’
ability to adapt rapidly to new commissions and audiences.
The BBC also appears to be sending mixed messages; it says it is
increasing investment in musical education, but it is cutting the
jobs to which music students aspire. That makes no sense at all.
Even the BBC’s own classical music review has said that the BBC
performing groups play a vital role in the pipeline of new
talent. These cuts therefore have huge negative implications for
future generations of musicians and our wider
musical infrastructure.
The cuts also have negative implications for the cultural life of
the regions. The BBC’s classical music review has found that the
BBC orchestras perform in parts of the UK that would otherwise
not be covered by major orchestras. The loss of a fifth of
orchestral jobs in the BBC orchestras can therefore have only a
negative impact on the cultural experiences of people living
outside London or other main urban areas. Again, as with the cuts
to the ENO and all the other institutions I named at the
beginning, the BBC orchestral cuts threaten a levelling-down
effect and a serious downgrading of the cultural life of the
UK.
Let us put all this into a wider financial context. As Charlotte
Higgins of The Guardian pointed out last week, the BBC orchestras
are being cut and the BBC Singers’ future made uncertain for the
want of a reported £5 million saving to the BBC. Meanwhile, the
Government are trying to claw back £122 million from PPE Medpro,
the company recommended by as a supplier of personal
protective equipment to the NHS during the pandemic. The sums of
investment needed to secure key parts of our classical music
industry are therefore small when compared with the vast amounts
wasted by this Government. It makes absolutely no economic or
cultural sense to allow the devastation of our classical music
industry when it can be supported for a fraction of what the
Government have wasted on PPE contracts. We need to remember, as
I stated earlier, that the music sector adds significantly to our
economy; it was £4 billion in 2021.
There are some other practical things that the Government could
do right now to redress some of the damage done to the classical
music industry. The following are just some suggestions, any of
which would be a small step towards supporting our classical
music infrastructure. For instance, VAT on live events, such as
music and theatre events, could be reduced to bring the UK more
in line with EU nations and to help to stimulate live music. The
Government could look at measures such as reducing business rates
on live music venues and studios. The classical music industry
could be given help through extra support to venues, studios and
music spaces hit by soaring energy bills. If they wanted to, the
Government could create a new tax relief for the music industry,
like those enjoyed by film and TV, to boost music production.
(Caithness, Sutherland and
Easter Ross) (LD)
The hon. Member is making a thoughtful speech, to say the least.
There is an international dimension to this, taking forward his
point. Last year, two Ukrainian players, Oleksii and Igor, came
to perform in St Finbarr’s church in Dornoch in my constituency.
That was an expression of determination that Ukraine would not be
crushed and an opportunity for us to say, “We are with you,
Ukraine.” The Government could look at that—perhaps they do
already—and say, “Let us have more Ukrainian players. Let us use
this as our soft power.” Music speaks to everyone. It is an
international language, so there is a great opportunity here for
us to do more and to stand with brave Ukraine.
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. Music is international
and musicians perform
internationally. The reputation that some of the orchestras and
ensembles in the UK have is worldwide and they would of course
show solidarity with the Ukrainians. We certainly welcome them
here to hear them play and other orchestras playing abroad. That
is one of the soft power things we can do. The reputation of the
classical music world is first class across the world.
Many classical musicians have felt a
negative impact from Brexit, with touring opportunities lessened.
The Government could set up a new music export office to drive
British music exports and help future talents to grow their
international audiences. Classical musicians have been hit
by a squeeze on salaries, as well as the cost of living crisis
and the terrible impact of covid. On top of this,
classical musicians are unfairly
deprived of income from streaming platforms. As my hon. Friend
the Member for Cardiff West () has argued, there is a dire
need for equitable remuneration for musicians At the
moment, classical orchestral musicians see all
the profits from their work on streaming platforms hoovered up by
big corporate record companies and the platforms themselves. The
Government could change the law in this regard so that
classical musicians get a fair
share of the proceeds from their work.
There is therefore much the Government could do. The Government
must support the call on the BBC to set the BBC Singers on a
long-term footing as soon as possible and remove the threat to
jobs in the BBC Philharmonic, Concert and Symphony orchestras.
The Government should also closely examine the decisions by Arts
Council England, and ensure the protection of the many fine
classical music institutions that now face deep uncertainty.
Future decisions must involve improved consultation with
the musicians involved, and
decisions should be more informed by classical music
experts, musicians and our
musical infrastructure. We know that investment made in the
classical music industry will be repaid many times over by the
economic and cultural contribution it makes. It is simply a false
economy to stand back and allow the devastation of a classical
music scene that contributes so much.
It is time for the Government to step up to the challenge of
protecting and promoting classical music in the UK. It is time
for the Government to pick up the baton and change the tempo for
the final movement of this discordant cacophony, and to stop the
irreparable damage being done to some of the finest orchestras
and ensembles. I look forward to the Minister’s response on all
these matters.
18:42:00
(Bromley and Chislehurst)
(Con)
I only intervene briefly in this debate to repeat my
congratulations to the hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate () on securing it, and to
make a few quick points to the Minister to supplement those that
he has already made.
I declare my interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary
group on opera, and I have performers in my family as well. It is
precisely because of that connection that I have seen at first
hand the effect that the cuts imposed by Arts Council England
have had on people who are dedicated professionals and who
contribute to the economy of this country in a significant
manner. We should not forget the value of classical music to the
arts offer of this country, but it also makes a massive change in
enriching lives—be it teachers in schools enriching the lives of
children—and in enriching communities through community choirs
and concerts such as the Bromley festival of speech and music, of
which I have the honour to be joint president with my wife,
bringing folk together and using music to pull them together.
However, all that needs an infrastructure and an ecosystem to
support it, and some of that requires public support. By the
nature of the profession, it cannot entirely operate from the
ticket office. That is why the damage done by Arts Council
England’s behaviour is so extreme and egregious. To cut the very
companies that have done more to promote access to the arts is
perverse in the extreme.
English National Opera in particular performs in English—it is
the only company that does—and it is more than willing to tour
outside London, if given the chance, but it has not been. It has
a more diverse audience and a more diverse workforce than any
other company. It is much more user-friendly, if I can put it
that way, to those who have not had an experience in classical
music and the arts to get into. I have been to recent productions
at the ENO. It has a much younger, more diverse and enthusiastic
audience than might be seen in many other houses. Every one of
its performances is selling at about 95% box office capacity.
We have the perverse situation of the director of music, heaven
forbid, for Arts Council England claiming that she did not
believe there is any longer an audience for “grand opera”,
whatever she meant by that. I always rather thought grand opera
was in five acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer in Paris in the 1850s. It
is not putting on La Bohème, Carmen or Akhnaten, a modern opera
by Philip Glass that is sold out at the ENO. If the people who
are supposed to be running the arts do not understand the art
form themselves, where on earth are we going to get to?
The behaviour of Arts Council England has left Ministers exposed
to criticism, because although it is an arms-length body,
ultimately the blame will fall on Government. It also
demonstrates that there are serious questions about its current
viability as the guardians of arts in England. Its mission
statement, when it was created, was to spread excellence in the
arts throughout the country and to make excellence more
accessible. As I pointed out earlier, and as the hon. Member for
Enfield, Southgate rightly said, its decisions have actually been
the reverse. The former Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend
the Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Ms Dorries), condemned the way
Arts Council England carried out her ministerial instruction.
Ministers can give strategic instruction to Arts Council England,
although, of course, they do not get involved in individual
funding decisions. I say to my hon. Friend the Minister: that
which is instructed can also be uninstructed. There is no doubt
that Ministers can set the tone in the way in which Arts Council
England supports things.
There is a way forward to save the ENO, with sensible compromise
and a very modest injection of funds in the overall scheme of
things, which will keep the company in being and enable it to
continue to do good work. I hope the same will be done with such
things as the Glyndebourne tour. It is bizarre that some of my
friends in the corporate world—my corporate lawyer friends, dare
I say it?—will be able to pay the prices to go to the
Glyndebourne festival, where there is no cost to the public
purse, but the public funding that enabled Glyndebourne to go out
to non-traditional audiences in places such as the Marlowe
Theatre in Canterbury, or to Northampton or to Norwich, is the
very thing that has been cut. It is exactly the reverse of what
was intended. An organisation that does that has to answer
serious questions about both its competence and its
processes.
I hope the Minister will reflect on three points. First, Arts
Council England announced it will have an independent review of
its approach to opera and classical music. I think the Minister
is entitled to say to it, as a matter of strategic importance,
that that must be genuinely independent. At the moment, there is
a real suggestion and concern that Arts Council England—its
members have about 162 notes in their register of interests
within the same sector—will be marking its own homework. There
has to be a properly independent and rigorous review with the
involvement of people—there are many of them in the UK—who are
active professionals.
Secondly, Arts Council England itself needs a review. It is due
for a departmental review before too long anyway, as it is some
time since its last one. It ought to look at its transparency and
decision-making processes. The board papers are never published.
The information available would never pass muster in a local
authority or health service trust, for example. That must change
and the review should look at that, as it should at the
composition of the board and the recruitment of its executive
team.
Thirdly, if I might return to a separate matter, touring visas
have been a real problem for many people. Now that we are in a
much better position with the Windsor agreement and a better
relationship with the European Union, there is the suggestion,
which has been signed off as being entirely consistent with the
trade and co-operation agreement by Sarah Lee KC, that we could
have a bespoke visa-waiver agreement with the EU for touring
artists for up to 90 days in a period of 180 days. That would be
doable and we would not have to reopen the TCA. With the better
atmosphere that the Prime Minister has now created, that would be
a practical way forward.
Those are sensible points that I hope the Minister will say she
will take away and act on.
18:49:00
(Walsall South) (Lab)
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, Southgate () for securing this
debate and for allowing me to speak. I knew that the hon. Member
for Strangford () would be here, and I wish him a belated happy
birthday for last Saturday. I, too, want to acknowledge the role
that my hon. Friend the Member for Worsley and Eccles South
() has played in securing
widespread support for the BBC Singers. The fight is not over;
she will continue, and we will support her.
I add my voice to everything that my hon. Friend the Member for
Enfield, Southgate, has said, although, hon. Members will be
pleased to hear, not in song—I will stick to words. This is an
extremely important topic. I start with classical music’s large
body of work. I was taught the piano by my mother Merlyn when I
was quite young. My first piece was Bach’s “Well-Tempered
Clavier”, prelude No. 1. I still empty the room when I practise
it. My daughter Liberty plays the violin and piano. She did an
extended project for her A-level, entitled “Does exposure to
music make you more intelligent?” She came down saying yes, it
does, but if we have active participation.
I appreciate that the Minister is going to give birth fairly
soon. She does not need to buy “Baby Mozart”, but I encourage her
to listen to relax. It is important for children to hear music in
the womb it, and later on. The brain waves change when people
listen to music. The same can be said of classical Indian
music—Ravi Shankar with the sitar, which takes years to learn how
to play, has exactly the same effect.
We know how important music is for children. When I first came
here in 2010, I asked the then Education Secretary to make sure
that there is a piano in every school, because I grew up
surrounded by music. José Abreu suggested that children can
benefit from it and formed El Sistema, which has transformed
children’s lives in Venezuela. It has now been rolled out
throughout the world.
We are lucky to have very good radio here. Classic FM is a must
to listen to, and public broadcasting is important, as my hon.
Friend the Member for Enfield, Southgate, mentioned, as did the
hon. Member for Woking (Mr Lord) in his intervention. We have BBC
Radio 3—I do not know whether other hon. Members listen to
“Building a Library”, but it is a fantastic programme. The Proms
is the biggest music festival in the world—way before
Glastonbury. It is so important that international artists come
here from around the world. What our public broadcasters do is so
important.
I stumbled upon a documentary about the amazing genius that is
Daniel Barenboim on BBC Four last week. The BBC had captured him
at 25, conducting a masterclass. It was amazing. Even if someone
did not know anything about music, they could see how he
explained to the two pianists how they could change and make
their music sound better. Added to that, he formed the
West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with Edward Said. That is how
amazing he is. They brought together young people from Israel,
Palestine, Egypt and all across the middle east to play together.
Daniel Barenboim said that when they play music, they are all
equal—they are just playing Beethoven. It is so important that
that continues. I missed the Prom where Martha Argerich and
Daniel Barenboim played the piano together, but it was captured
at the end of the documentary. I suggest that everyone tries to
listen to it.
Music is inspirational. We can see our achievement as human
beings, because a few notes can show what creative people we are.
It can start with classical music and move to other forms of
music such as jazz and modern music. It forms the basis of every
aspect of our life. We need to protect that, because music moves
us—it moves our emotions and it speaks to our soul. I hope that
the Minister will protect it.
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
()
rose—
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
Order. I call to make a brief
contribution.
18:54:00
(Woking) (Con)
I am grateful, Madam Deputy Speaker. I rise to say two things.
First, the funding cuts and the change of direction, particularly
for the English National Opera, really affect some of our
constituents, including musicians and singers
in my constituency. Out of a clear blue sky, an organisation that
is not just nationally famous but world famous and that
undertakes all the tours that could be reasonably expected on the
budget that it has, as well as performing happily at its home in
London where it has made its name, has been subject to an Arts
Council change that chucks everything up in the air. That is not
acceptable, and I am pleased that there will be a review.
Secondly, I congratulate both the hon. Member for Enfield,
Southgate () on securing the debate
and my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst ( ) on his work and campaigning.
My hon. Friend spoke eloquently about the ENO; I agree with what
he said, with the key questions he posed to the Minister and with
the remedies he set out. We are still looking for a reasonable
and satisfactory outcome for this world-famous opera company, and
we look to the Minister for answers to those questions.
We hope the Government will make the right recommendations and
ultimately guide the House, but let us not take time over that.
The problem is that now everything is up in the air and people
are being made redundant. We need some certainty for the future,
so let us have a review, but in the meantime let us ensure the
support needed is there. I look to the Minister for replies that
will help my constituents and, more importantly, help the
opera-loving public and that wonderful opera company.
18:56:00
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
()
Madam Deputy Speaker, I apologise for anticipating my cue when
one was not given.
I thank the hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate () for securing this
debate on what is obviously a popular topic, and for highlighting
some of the fantastic work that orchestras, choirs and opera
companies are doing to bring classical music to people across the
country. I too have been contacted by constituents about this
issue. The hon. Gentleman is right to touch on the quality of
our musicians as a selling
point of our very successful film and television industry. The
creative industries form part of my portfolio, and he is right to
point out the contribution of film scores.
The hon. Gentleman covered a lot of ground, so I will try to
cover the topics he included in his speech. As he said, classical
music in Britain continues to be a source of national pride and
inspires not just the people of our country but the entire world.
As other hon. Members have pointed out, it feeds our souls. He
rightly talked about the classical ecosystem. From the smaller
but rapidly developing new orchestras, such as the Multi-Story
Orchestra, to the long-established giants such as the London
Symphony Orchestra or the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the
orchestras of this country have a rich history of excellence and
innovation. That has a profound impact on the world of classical
music.
The classical music sector creates jobs, supports local
businesses and generates revenue for the local and national
economy. It attracts tourists from across the world who come to
see performances by renowned orchestras and musicians More
importantly than any of that, classical music, whether performed
by orchestras, choirs, quartets or soloists, whether professional
or amateur, has the ability to fascinate, inspire and enthral us.
That is why it is an art form that this Government support
consistently, gladly and proudly.
I welcome the birthing tips from the right hon. Member for
Walsall South (). Classic FM got a lot of us
through lockdown; I shall be thinking of it and perhaps playing
it when the moment comes, hopefully not too imminently. We
published the draft Media Bill today, which includes provisions
on radio that a number of hon. Members are calling for. I hope
the Bill will support the growth and future of our radio sector,
including Classic FM, and that it will continue to be a means
through which people can access classical music.
I want to address up front some concerns that have been raised
about recent announcements by the BBC in relation to its
symphony, concert and philharmonic orchestras. As hon. Members
have noted, the BBC is an operationally and editorially
independent organisation, and the Government have no role in its
strategy for classical music, so any decisions on the matter are
for it to take independently. However, of course I recognise how
valuable the BBC orchestras and singers are to many individuals
and communities across the UK. Having encouraged in this House a
response—
19:00:00
Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 9(3)).
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now
adjourn.—(.)
The choreography of tonight’s debate is intriguing, Madam Deputy
Speaker. It is new to me, so I apologise if I am not playing my
part very successfully.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
It is always a surprise when the motion lapses at 7 o’clock. I
assure the Minister that many Ministers are caught out
slightly.
I appreciate that reassurance, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is all
good exercise for me as I try to maintain my mobility over the
coming weeks.
I was about to say that I encouraged, on the Floor of the House,
staff members to engage vigorously in the consultation that the
BBC was running on the recent announcement. I was very glad that
the BBC said last week that it will now undertake further work,
in discussion with the Musicians’ Union, on the future of the BBC
Singers. I also welcome the update that the BBC is engaging with
the Musicians’ Union and other unions on its proposals on its
English orchestras.
We agree, however, that the BBC should focus on prioritising
value for licence fee payers. We welcome the intent to pursue
greater distinctiveness while increasing the regional and
educational impact of the BBC’s performing groups. As my hon.
Friend the Member for Woking (Mr Lord) pointed out in
relation to the licence fee, the BBC is required to deliver the
remit set out in its charter, which includes a mission to
serve
“all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality
and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and
entertain”.
We think that the BBC should be prioritising using its £3.8
billion annual licence fee income to deliver that remit, which
includes culturally distinctive content.
The hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate laments the £3.8 billion
that the BBC gets. We think that it is a substantial sum. Given
the cost of living challenges that our constituents face, we did
not feel it right to increase the licence fee by more. There is
also a balance to be struck in maintaining consent for the
licence fee. We think there was a risk that if the licence fee
had been increased substantially, it would have reduced the
public support for the organisation.
I highlight again the fact that today we published the draft
Media Bill, which is about underpinning our public service
broadcasters in an increasingly competitive media environment. We
hope that in doing so we will in turn underpin the future of
British creativity. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will accept
and welcome those proposals, which are substantial.
Beyond the recent discussion of the BBC’s strategy for classical
music, I want to recognise the wider support that the Government
give to the arts. As has been highlighted, it is primarily
delivered by an arm’s length body, Arts Council England. The
policy area is within the remit of the arts and heritage
Minister, , on whose behalf I speak
today; I know that he has engaged extensively with hon. Members’
concerns, and I shall raise with him the suggestions from my hon.
Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst ( ) about the potential Arts
Council review and about transparency.
To read some of the public narrative around the Arts Council, one
would think that funding or support for classical music had
ceased altogether, so I would like to put some context around
some of the concerns that have been raised. In November last
year, ACE announced the outcome of its major investment
programme, which is known as the national portfolio. It is the
largest national portfolio so far: 990 organisations are
receiving funding, compared with 814 between 2018 and 2022, and
663 between 2015 and 2018.
Overall, the investment programme is good news for orchestras and
for classical music. Investment remains high in classical music
and particularly in orchestral music organisations: 23 orchestral
music organisations are being funded—an increase from 19 in the
last round—at approximately £21 million per annum, which is £2
million more than in the previous year.
Those statistics do not include some of the largest and
best-funded organisations, including the Southbank Centre, which
are not specifically focused on classical music but which play an
important role in its success. Organisations including the
Multi-Story Orchestra, Orchestras for All, Paraorchestra, the
People’s Orchestra and Pegasus Opera are joining the national
portfolio for the first time. We think that that will help to
bring down barriers to classical music and celebrate the power
that it can have in people’s lives, which several hon. Members
have referred to this evening. We think that the new portfolio
has particular strengths in supporting young people in classical
music. It has new funding for Awards for Young musicians and the
National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain. There is also an
increase in funding for the National Youth Choirs of Great
Britain and the National Youth Orchestra.
The Arts Council has been thinking about how to build a fairer,
more diverse classical music sector, and has commissioned a study
entitled “Creating a More Inclusive Classical Music” to help it
to understand the workforce, examine talent pathways, and think
about how we might improve inclusion. A great deal of work has
been done, not least through the broadening of the national
portfolio, but the Arts Council will produce an update on its
plans in the coming months. Its support for classical music goes
well beyond orchestras. Some recent Arts Council support through
lottery money includes backing for the Schubert 200 project,
which will see Die Schöne Müllerin, Winterreise and
Schwanengesang—I apologise for my pronunciation; I am relying on
GCSE German—performed in new arrangements using period
instruments and animated with puppetry, and £50,000 for one of
our leading professional chamber choirs, The Sixteen, to support
its summer pilgrimage.
Concern has been expressed across the sector about the work of
English National Opera and the outcome of the new portfolio. The
Arts Council and ENO are working closely to reach an agreement on
ENO’s future funding and business model. As I mentioned earlier,
has met representatives of
ENO and Members of Parliament to discuss this issue, the context
being that the Arts Council made all its decisions independently
of Government.
(Wythenshawe and Sale East)
(Lab)
Let me say as a Mancunian that English National Opera would be
more than welcome in Manchester, either to reside or to visit,
but as a former director of the Hallé, I want to assure the
people of this country that the classical ecosystem in our great
city is well served. Will the Minister join me in welcoming
Debbie Francis, OBE, as the new chair of the Hallé Concerts
Society? She is the first woman to do that job in its 165-year
history.
I do indeed welcome Debbie Francis to her position, and
congratulate her on her success as the first female in the
role.
Questions have been raised about the overall strategic direction
from the Secretary of State. The view was taken that London has a
huge number of incredibly important cultural organisations, but
that the value to be obtained from them should be spread more
fairly across the country. As a London Member, I am always
anxious to ensure that levelling up does not necessarily mean
removing a resource from London, which is a city of 8 million
people consisting of a huge range of communities with different
needs and different levels of wealth. I do not believe that this
should be a zero-sum game. However, a range of organisations in
the rest of the country do not have such a strong voice in this
place, and I think it important that communities throughout the
country are benefiting from this funding, some of them for the
first time. We should accept that that will make a huge and
enriching contribution to people’s lives.
Let me add my congratulations to the Minister on what will happen
in the coming weeks. I hope she will accept that there is a
particular issue in relation to London, which professionals will
clarify for anyone who talks to them. Most choristers in opera
companies or orchestral players, for instance, will not rely
entirely on their work for the opera company or orchestra
concerned for their income; they top it up because they are able
to do outside freelance work, such as session work, and also
teaching work, sometimes at the colleges in London. There is an
ecosystem that supports them and enables them to do their
mainstream classical work, which is not the best paid. If they
are taken out of the area where that ecosystem is, and where
those alternative or additional employment opportunities are, it
becomes much harder for them to survive. That is why plucking
them out of London, or Manchester for that matter, does not work
in practice in the way in which it may seem to work in
theory.
I was going to make the same point about the importance of the
ecosystem. However, these things can become self-fulfilling, and
if we never attempt to spread the benefits of the arts beyond the
capital city, they are always going to happen. This is about
trying to achieve a balance. As London MPs, it is incumbent on us
not to be over the top about the level of funding that has gone
outside the capital. The capital still receives by far the lion’s
share of arts funding and we are grateful for the richness it
gives our capital, but we should bear in mind that a lot of
communities have no arts funding at all and it is important they
should have access.
The hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst ( ) and I made the point that
many of these orchestras and opera companies tour, providing
access to classical music in areas that would never otherwise
have that access. By cutting or getting rid of some of these
organisations, the Government are cutting back on the ability of
people in other parts of the country to access the amazing
classical work that they provide. It is not just about where the
organisations are located; it is also about what they provide by
touring.
I accept what the hon. Gentleman says about the importance of
touring. I would also say that a lot of creators
and musicians would like to
have opportunities beyond London. London is not a cheap place to
live, and they might welcome the idea that they might not have to
concentrate their entire career in the capital, where housing is
expensive and there are other challenges in relation to the cost
of transport and so on. As the hon. Member for Wythenshawe and
Sale East () said in that context, Manchester
is not all that far away. It is important not to forget that a
lot of people want opportunity to be spread across the country
rather than concentrated in a single place—notwithstanding the
fact that I am also a London MP and I totally understand the
importance of our capital thriving, as it should.
The hon. Member for Strangford () highlighted the importance of early music education.
That is something that and I are working on with
the Department for Education. Classical music ensembles play a
crucial role in cultural education and the development of
young musicians The
inclusion of so many organisations that run music education
programmes in the Arts Council portfolio speaks to the importance
of providing a strong foundation in music from a young age.
We have a refreshed national plan for music education. It
launched last June and it aims to provide music opportunities for
all children and young people, regardless of background,
circumstances, need or geography. As part of the commitments we
have made alongside that plan, £25 million of new funding has
been made available so that we can purchase hundreds of thousands
of musical instruments and equipment for young people, including
adaptive instruments for pupils with special educational needs
and disabilities so that they, too, can share the joy that music
can provide. The refreshed plan also renews its commitment to the
music hubs programme, which is delivered by the Arts Council and
provides £79 million every year until 2025.
Alongside these programmes, the Department co-funds the national
youth music organisation programme with the Arts Council. All 15
national youth music organisations will receive Arts Council
funding for the next three years, and earlier this week I was
pleased to hear that the Department for Education had recognised
this outstanding work and agreed to commit a further £1.5 million
over the next three years as well. That is fantastic news because
this programme will lead the way in developing
young musicians and music
makers.
Mr Lord
With the indulgence of the House, I would like to make a point
about young musicians Towards the
end of last year I went to the final of the Woking young musician
of the year competition. The standard was extraordinarily high,
and it is a competition that does not cost the council or the
taxpayer any money. It gives mentoring and advice to all the
young musicians who put
themselves forward for the competition. The big final had an
extraordinarily high standard of musicianship. It has provided
finalists and also a winner of the BBC musician of the year
competition. I would encourage colleagues to encourage that sort
of support locally.
One other thing I would like to mention is that last year I
attended the 100th concert of the Breinton concert series, in
which a local family open their house to fantastic young and
up-and-coming musicians of enormous
talent. They have classical concerts and little bits of operetta,
and as they are blessed with good grounds, in the summer people
come and hear these amazing, normally young, musicians Again, it is
entirely self-funding. I would like to congratulate the
organisers of the Breinton concerts, and it would be lovely to
see that happen elsewhere in the south-east and in the country at
large.
My hon. Friend does a wonderful job of highlighting all the
wonderful activity in his constituency, including Woking young
musician of the year. He highlights the joy of music and its huge
impact on communities.
The hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate raised the issue of tax
reliefs. He will be aware that, in the spring statement, the
Chancellor extended the higher rates of theatre tax relief,
orchestra tax relief, and museums and galleries exhibition tax
relief for a further two years. This will help to offset some of
the ongoing economic pressures and boost investment in our
cultural sectors, which we have been supporting substantially
through some very difficult times, not least through covid and
the energy challenges. This will ensure that they can continue to
showcase the very best of British talent, not only in our
recognised concert halls and theatres but in the many museums and
other arts venues across the nation. The changes made in the
Budget are estimated to be worth some £350 million, which is as
strong a signal as we can send of the Government’s faith and
support for our cultural sector.
A wide range of other topics have been raised, including
grassroots music venues. Today I met Mark Davyd, who represents
grassroots music venues, to discuss support for such venues. We
are looking at a range of measures that we might be able to take
to support him. He was particularly grateful for some of the
things the Government did through the pandemic and beyond. We are
also working closely with the Intellectual Property Office, and
with the industry itself, on some of the streaming questions.
Exports have been raised, and we are considering the expansion of
the music export growth scheme. We are also doing lots of work on
touring, which was also raised in this debate. Discussions will
continue on improving the touring offer, but we have already made
quite substantial progress.
The hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross () talks about the importance of
soft power and our relationship with Ukraine. It may have escaped
his attention, but we will shortly host the Eurovision song
contest on Ukraine’s behalf. We also have a huge package of
cultural partnerships with Ukraine, so we are already doing a lot
in that space.
Of course, our flagship levelling-up fund is also supporting
access to culture and the performing arts across the UK. The
second round of funding was announced in January 2022, and it
made 31 culture and heritage awards to projects across the
country, to the tune of some £546 million. Chamber ensembles,
soloists, orchestras and many more will now be able to perform in
state-of-the-art spaces across our country, all because of that
fund. This includes a new state-of-the-art site at Embassy
Gardens in Nine Elms, which opened late last year and includes
the first public concert hall to open in London in more than 13
years. We should recognise the huge investment we are making in
our capital.
Our cultural development fund has just launched, and the right
hon. Member for Walsall South () will be pleased to learn that
Walsall Council will receive £3.7 million in that round to
refurbish a currently unused grade II-listed building in the
centre of the St Matthew’s quarter, and to deliver a three-year
cultural activity plan that we hope will enliven and invigorate
Walsall town centre.
I hope Members will feel reassured by the support we give to
classical music, which takes many forms. By investing in music
education, supporting classical music organisations and promoting
the industry, we are ensuring that classical music continues to
thrive in this country. It remains an important contributor to
our economy and to our cultural and social wellbeing. We hope
that, now and for many years to come, people can continue to
experience its many wonders.
Question put and agreed to.
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