Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote arts subjects in schools.

The Government believes that every child should experience a high quality arts education throughout their time at school. All schools, including academies and free schools, must provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school.

The National Curriculum, which includes music, art and design, drama, and dance, is compulsory for maintained schools. Academies and free schools are not required to teach the National Curriculum, but can use it as a benchmark.

Last month, we announced a multimillion pound investment in music and cultural education. This includes:

• £300 million over the next four years for a network of music education hubs

• £29 million a year until 2018 for the Music and Dance scheme which provides support for talented young musicians and dancers to attend world-class institutions

• £4.1 million a year until 2018 for cultural education programmes

• £500,000 a year until 2018 for In Harmony, an orchestral training programme for pupils in disadvantaged areas

• £600,000 for other small music programmes across the country for each year until 2020

• £13.5 million a year until 2018 for the Dance and Drama Awards Scheme. This scheme offers income-assessed support for tuition fees and living costs for students aged 16-23 at a number of high quality private dance and drama schools