Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on closures of music (a) departments and (b) courses at universities in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Luke Hall

The department does not hold data on the number of music departments, or on the establishment or closure of individual distinct music courses offered by higher education providers (HEPs). However, the department does hold data on the numbers of student enrolments in music courses more generally, and the number of HEPs offering these courses. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), which is now part of JISC, is responsible for collecting and publishing data about UK higher education (HE). The latest statistics refer to the 2021/22 academic year.

The data on HE student enrolments by HEP and subjects of study for the 2014/15 to 2018/19 academic years is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-13.

The data on HE student enrolments by HEP and subject of study for the 2019/20 to 2021/22 academic years is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-49.

In the 2014/15 academic year, there were 102 HEPs that enrolled 24,620 students in music courses. In the 2021/22 academic year, this increased to 120 HEPs enrolling 37,090 students in music courses.

Counts are on the basis of full-person-equivalents. Where a student is studying more than one subject, they are apportioned between the subjects that make up their course. Figures provided are for UK HEPs enrolments for all modes and levels of study, and for all domiciles. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five, in line with HESA rounding conventions. More information on the figures is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/definitions/students#rounding-and-suppression-strategy.

The figures from 2019/20 onwards are not directly comparable with previous years due to the introduction of a new subject classification system, called the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS), which replaced the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS3).

Further information on HECoS and JACS can be found via the following: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/hecos, and https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/jacs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department has on the number of music departments at UK universities in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Luke Hall

The department does not hold data on the number of music departments, or on the establishment or closure of individual distinct music courses offered by higher education providers (HEPs). However, the department does hold data on the numbers of student enrolments in music courses more generally, and the number of HEPs offering these courses. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), which is now part of JISC, is responsible for collecting and publishing data about UK higher education (HE). The latest statistics refer to the 2021/22 academic year.

The data on HE student enrolments by HEP and subjects of study for the 2014/15 to 2018/19 academic years is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-13.

The data on HE student enrolments by HEP and subject of study for the 2019/20 to 2021/22 academic years is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-49.

In the 2014/15 academic year, there were 102 HEPs that enrolled 24,620 students in music courses. In the 2021/22 academic year, this increased to 120 HEPs enrolling 37,090 students in music courses.

Counts are on the basis of full-person-equivalents. Where a student is studying more than one subject, they are apportioned between the subjects that make up their course. Figures provided are for UK HEPs enrolments for all modes and levels of study, and for all domiciles. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five, in line with HESA rounding conventions. More information on the figures is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/definitions/students#rounding-and-suppression-strategy.

The figures from 2019/20 onwards are not directly comparable with previous years due to the introduction of a new subject classification system, called the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS), which replaced the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS3).

Further information on HECoS and JACS can be found via the following: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/hecos, and https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/jacs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2024 to Question 19580 on Music: Education, when she plans to announce the funding rates and allocations to cover the increase in employer contribution rates for existing non-local authority Music Hubs until August 2024.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education

In light of the increase in employer contributions to the Teacher’s Pension Scheme (TPS) from April 2024, the department will take steps to determine the level of employer liability across all the newly appointed Music Hub Lead Organisations from September 2024. This has not been possible until recently, as applicants were informed of the outcome of the Music Hubs Investment Programme on 8 April 2024. The department will then work with Arts Council England in giving due consideration to the additional pension pressures due to the increase in employer contribution to the TPS. The outcome of this assessment will be published in the coming months.

The department has already secured £1.25 billion to support eligible settings with the increased TPS employer contribution rate in the 2024/25 financial year. This will mean additional funding of £9.3 million to local authorities for centrally employed teachers, including those employed in local authority based music hubs. The department has now published the details of the additional funding for mainstream schools, high needs and local authorities with centrally employed teachers.

The department has also committed to providing funding to cover the increase in employer contribution rates for non-local authority hubs for the current academic year to August 2024 and Arts Council England has communicated allocations to the relevant hub lead organisations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2024 to Question 19580 on Music: Education, what assessment her Department has made of the ability of non-local authority Music Hubs to pay for employer contribution rates after August 2024.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education

In light of the increase in employer contributions to the Teacher’s Pension Scheme (TPS) from April 2024, the department will take steps to determine the level of employer liability across all the newly appointed Music Hub Lead Organisations from September 2024. This has not been possible until recently, as applicants were informed of the outcome of the Music Hubs Investment Programme on 8 April 2024. The department will then work with Arts Council England in giving due consideration to the additional pension pressures due to the increase in employer contribution to the TPS. The outcome of this assessment will be published in the coming months.

The department has already secured £1.25 billion to support eligible settings with the increased TPS employer contribution rate in the 2024/25 financial year. This will mean additional funding of £9.3 million to local authorities for centrally employed teachers, including those employed in local authority based music hubs. The department has now published the details of the additional funding for mainstream schools, high needs and local authorities with centrally employed teachers.

The department has also committed to providing funding to cover the increase in employer contribution rates for non-local authority hubs for the current academic year to August 2024 and Arts Council England has communicated allocations to the relevant hub lead organisations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the findings in the report entitled Teacher Labour Market in England: Annual Report, published by the National Foundation for Educational Research in March 2024, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the Government meets its Initial Teacher Training targets for music teachers.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education

Postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (PGITT) recruitment represents a subset of entrants to teaching. Targets do not include all routes. For example, they do not include undergraduate courses.

Each year the department also recruits teachers that return to the profession having previously left the state-funded teaching sector, as well as those that were already qualified but are new to the sector.

The last School Workforce Census, which took place in June 2023, showed that 48,000 teachers entered the profession. Around one third of these were made up of those returning to the profession and half were new teachers entering through PGITT routes.

In the 2023/24 academic year, there were 216 new postgraduate entrants in music, which was 27% of the PGITT target. This is a decline in recruitment from the 2022/23 academic year, in which there were 292 new postgraduate entrants in music or 62% of the PGITT. The PGITT for music increased by 68% in 2023/24, which may partly explain some of the change in performance against the recruitment target.

As of 22 April 2024, 171 candidates have accepted an offer to begin a PGITT course in music in the 2024/25 academic year, which is a 24% increase from the same point last year.

For those intending to train as music teachers in the 2024/25 academic year, the department has introduced a bursary of £10,000 to support and encourage talented trainees to enter the profession. Music trainee teachers can also apply for a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan to support their living costs. Additional funding is available depending on individual circumstances, such as the Childcare Grant.

The department accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations in full for a 6.5% teacher pay award in 2023, which saw the government achieve its manifesto commitment of £30,000 starting salaries for all teachers in England. This is an attractive offer, which forms part of the overall remuneration package for teachers, including a generous employer pension contribution rate of 28.6%.

Alongside the department’s financial levers, the department is continuing to invest in attracting the best teachers where they are needed most through the teaching marketing campaign and support services for prospective trainees, as well as its new in-house teacher recruitment journey and associated digital services.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many times (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have met representatives from (i) ViaGoGo and (ii) StubHub International since September 2023.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting fair and transparent ticket pricing and tackling unacceptable behaviour in this market.

We engage with a range of key organisations and individuals operating in the ticketing sector to understand the issues and challenges facing the ticketing and live events sectors. This includes STAR (the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, the self-regulatory body for the entertainment ticketing industry in the UK), the Competition and Markets Authority, Fanfair Alliance (the campaigning body against industrial scale online ticket touting), membership bodies representing all parts of the music sector including artists and event organisers, and, where appropriate, primary and secondary ticketing businesses.

Neither DCMS Ministers nor officials have had any meetings with Viagogo since September 2023. Viagogo has written once to my Department since then.

There have been no meetings or correspondence between DCMS Ministers and StubHub International since September 2023. Officials in my Department have met them twice since this date at StubHub’s request, and have received correspondence from them in the last three months.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have received correspondence from (i) Viagogo and (ii) StubHub International in the last three months.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting fair and transparent ticket pricing and tackling unacceptable behaviour in this market.

We engage with a range of key organisations and individuals operating in the ticketing sector to understand the issues and challenges facing the ticketing and live events sectors. This includes STAR (the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, the self-regulatory body for the entertainment ticketing industry in the UK), the Competition and Markets Authority, Fanfair Alliance (the campaigning body against industrial scale online ticket touting), membership bodies representing all parts of the music sector including artists and event organisers, and, where appropriate, primary and secondary ticketing businesses.

Neither DCMS Ministers nor officials have had any meetings with Viagogo since September 2023. Viagogo has written once to my Department since then.

There have been no meetings or correspondence between DCMS Ministers and StubHub International since September 2023. Officials in my Department have met them twice since this date at StubHub’s request, and have received correspondence from them in the last three months.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full-time equivalent members of staff were employed by HMRC to process applications for A1 forms in each of the last six months.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)

HMRC has a dedicated team of trained staff members available to process A1 certificate applications. The staffing numbers are regularly reviewed and adjusted based on demand throughout the year. The Department has the capability to train existing colleagues from outside the A1 certificate team as needed to address priority areas.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average time taken by his Department to process an A1 form was in each of the last six months.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)

HMRC has taken steps to address the backlog of A1 certificate applications, have achieved their recovery strategy ahead of time and they are now achieving service levels

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many times (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have met representatives from (i) ViaGoGo and (ii) StubHub International in the last 12 months.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade

All ministerial meetings with external organisations are published in the quarterly transparency returns.

Officials have met Viagogo once and StubHub International twice in the last 12 months.