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Written question asked by Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party) on Monday, 6 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 8 July 2026. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Music: Education

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with the Department for Work and Pensions, to increase funding for music tuition for children from low-income families to match increases in the cost of lesson tuition at school music schools.

Answer

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

This government is committed to ensuring that high-quality music education is not the preserve of the privileged few.

In the 2026/27 academic year, we will continue to invest £76 million revenue grant funding annually for the Music Hubs network, alongside continuing to invest £25 million capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology. The network provides services to schools, including group tuition, one-to-one tuition and instrument loans.

In the 2026/27 academic year, we are increasing means-tested bursary funding by £1.3 million to £37.8m for the Music and Dance Scheme to support around 2,100 high achieving young musicians and dancers to access to specialist performing arts education such as Chetham’s School of Music.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
15961
Session
2026-27
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Education Music Finance Low incomes Pupils
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk