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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Joint Council for Qualifications' findings that (a) between 2010 to 2021 in England there was a serious decline of -38 per cent in the number of arts GCSE entries, from 673,739 in 2010 to 419,357 in 2021 and (b) from 2010 to 2019 the number of teachers in arts based subjects fell by 23 per cent, what steps her Department plans to take to promote arts and culture for disadvantaged young people (i) in traditional educational settings and (ii) more widely.

Art and design and music are compulsory in the National Curriculum in all maintained schools from the age of 5 to the age of 14, and academies are also required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which Ofsted considers in their inspections. At key stage 4 all pupils in maintained schools have an entitlement to study an arts GCSE if they wish.

The Government has a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes that are designed to improve access to the arts for all children, regardless of their background, and to develop talent across the country. The Department for Education have commited to invest around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years and we will work closely together to ensure that all children and young people, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to access arts and culture and develop their creative talents.