Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2024 to Question 15040 on Autism and Learning Disability: Community Care, whether the funding flows task and finish group have developed plans to (a) fund support effectively across the health and social care system and (b) improve oversight of expenditure on the Building the Right Support Action Plan.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The aim of the Funding Flows task and finish group was to look at how to improve national oversight of the National Health Service and local authority spend on services and support for people with a learning disability and autistic people who are, or are at risk of being, admitted to mental health inpatient services.

The Funding Flows task and finish group has been looking at relevant data currently collected for the NHS and local government, to explore whether it could be brought together to help meet this objective. The final report from the Funding Flows task and finish group will be shared with the Building the Right Support Delivery Board in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on the potential merits of including the voice as one of the eligible instruments for Orchestral Tax Relief.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is not currently considering expanding the scope of eligible instruments to include the voice, however the government keeps the tax system under review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has committed to cover the increase in employer contribution rates for Music Hubs this academic year.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department has secured £1.25 billion to support eligible settings with the increased Teachers’ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate in the 2024/25 financial year. This includes additional funding of £9.3 million to local authorities for their centrally employed teachers, including those employed in local authority based music hubs.

The Teachers’ Pension Employer Contribution Grant 2024 will provide funding to local authorities in respect of teachers categorised as centrally employed on the schools workforce census 2023. The department expects local authority based music hub teachers to be recorded on the census.

The department has also committed to providing funding to cover the increase in employer contribution rates for existing non local authority hubs for the current academic year (until August 2024), and departmental officials are working to agree the precise amount. Further details, including funding rates and allocations, will be provided soon.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times the national plan for music education monitoring board has met since it was established; and on how many occasions a Minister attended a meeting of the board.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The National Plan for Music Education Monitoring Board has met three times since the announcement of the Board in June 2023. The second meeting was attended by the former Minister of State for Schools. The terms of reference of the Board are published on GOV.UK and there are no plans to publish the minutes of these meetings. The ‘National plan for music education monitoring board terms of reference’ can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1162481/National_plan_for_music_education_monitoring_board_terms_of_reference_-_June_2023.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to publish minutes for the meetings of the national plan for music education monitoring board.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The National Plan for Music Education Monitoring Board has met three times since the announcement of the Board in June 2023. The second meeting was attended by the former Minister of State for Schools. The terms of reference of the Board are published on GOV.UK and there are no plans to publish the minutes of these meetings. The ‘National plan for music education monitoring board terms of reference’ can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1162481/National_plan_for_music_education_monitoring_board_terms_of_reference_-_June_2023.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of ending funding for employers' contributions to the teachers' pension scheme for music teachers employed by music hubs unattached to schools on costs to the public purse.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

In March 2024, the department announced an additional £1.1 billion in the 2024/25 financial year to support schools and local authorities with the increased Teachers’ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate. This additional funding will be distributed in 2024/25 via the new teachers’ pension employer contribution grant (TPECG) 2024.

The department is providing additional funding through the TPECG 2024 to local authorities in respect of teachers categorised as centrally employed on the schools’ workforce census 2023. The department expects local authority-based Music Hub teachers to be recorded on the schools’ workforce census, and so to be in scope for this grant.

The department has also committed to providing funding to cover the increase in employer contribution rates for existing non-local authority hubs for the current academic year, until August 2024, and officials are working to agree the precise amount. Further details, including funding rates and allocations, will be provided soon.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) musicians and (b) music groups that were scheduled to play in the UK that were refused entry due to immigration rules in the last 12 months.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Border Force does not hold the data requested.

The UK’s rules for touring creative professionals are comparatively more generous than in many EU Member States. The UK’s domestic rules allow musicians, entertainers and artists from non-visa national countries, such as EU Member States and the US, to perform in the UK without requiring a visa, and the UK does not have work permits.

The Government is committed to supporting the UK’s creative industries, including musicians, to adapt to new arrangements with the EU.

Sector specific guidance on creative professionals from non-visa national countries, including the EU and the US, visiting the UK for performance and work has been published by DCMS on GOV.UK can be found in the ‘Visiting the UK as a creative professional from a non-visa national country guidance’ on GOV.UK.

DCMS has worked across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries to support working and touring with confidence in the EU. Ongoing industry engagement continues at ministerial and official level. This includes several recent events with the sector focused on touring and export support, hosted in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade. These events help to provide tailored guidance to stakeholders within the music sector, alongside an opportunity for the sector to discuss with Ministers and officials touring challenges and opportunities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what dates her Department's working group on creative and cultural touring has met since June 2022; and how many times a Minister has attended those meetings.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Border Force does not hold the data requested.

The UK’s rules for touring creative professionals are comparatively more generous than in many EU Member States. The UK’s domestic rules allow musicians, entertainers and artists from non-visa national countries, such as EU Member States and the US, to perform in the UK without requiring a visa, and the UK does not have work permits.

The Government is committed to supporting the UK’s creative industries, including musicians, to adapt to new arrangements with the EU.

Sector specific guidance on creative professionals from non-visa national countries, including the EU and the US, visiting the UK for performance and work has been published by DCMS on GOV.UK can be found in the ‘Visiting the UK as a creative professional from a non-visa national country guidance’ on GOV.UK.

DCMS has worked across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries to support working and touring with confidence in the EU. Ongoing industry engagement continues at ministerial and official level. This includes several recent events with the sector focused on touring and export support, hosted in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade. These events help to provide tailored guidance to stakeholders within the music sector, alongside an opportunity for the sector to discuss with Ministers and officials touring challenges and opportunities.