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Education and Inspections Bill

Lords amendment No. 47 was originally moved by Lord Moser in the House of Lords, where it received support from all sides. It would ensure that singing tuition is recognised as a form of music tuition, alongside instrumental music tuition, and that private musical instrument tuition can occur in large groups. The human voice is a musical instrument. As a Member of the House, one learns quickly that it is not always played with immense skill; when it is, it can produce the sublime. It is important that the amendment is agreed to, as it deals with an anomaly in current law that prevents schools from charging in the circumstances referred to by the hon. Member for Brent, East (Sarah Teather). She made a valid point about the guidance that will be issued, and we too would like to hear from the Minister about that. She also described the possible effects of confusion about the charging regime’s application to certain kinds of tuition in schools. Removal of the anomaly should mean that children have wider access to musical instrument and singing tuition. In the other place, the Minister rightly said that the existing system presents"““unjustified restrictions that are holding back music tuition in our schools””.—[Official Report, House of Lords, 30 October 2006; Vol. 686, c. 135.]" I do not want to delay the House further. I am pleased that the Liberals are now on side on this subject and I look forward to the Ministers’ comments, which I hope will clarify the points that have been made in this place and elsewhere. I finish with Dr. Johnson—that great Tory—who said that music was the only sensual pleasure without vice.