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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Musician's Union publication entitled 'Musicians' Census', published on 11 September 2023.

The Government is committed to maximising the potential of the UK music industry and its musicians.

We continue to regularly engage with industry and organisations, including the Musicians Union, to understand the challenges facing musicians, including those identified in the ‘Musicians’ Census’.

The Government has taken action to address these challenges, by supporting growth in the sector and creating more opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to pursue a career in music.

This includes working with the Department for Business and Trade to support UK musicians to successfully export to international markets through initiatives such as the International Showcase Fund and the Music Export Growth Scheme. Additionally, we are committed to protecting creatives through our world-leading copyright and intellectual property laws, and the Government is also establishing an industry working group to discuss issues around creator remuneration.

We are also taking action to support young talent to pursue a career in music. In June 2021 we published the National Plan for Music Education, setting out ambitions to increase music opportunities for all children and young people, regardless of circumstance and needs. Grassroots venues are also vital to supporting the talent pipeline, which is why we committed to providing an additional £5 million of funding to support grassroots music venues over two years.