Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill

Debate between Baroness Barran and Lord Black of Brentwood

Committee stage
Thursday 27th February 2025 Grand Committee

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, I will speak briefly to Amendment 54A and the consequential amendments in the name of my noble friend Lord Lexden, to which I have added my name. I declare my interests as chairman of governors at Brentwood School and as president of the Boarding Schools’ Association and the Institute of Boarding. I have just two brief points to add to the comprehensive remarks that my noble friend delivered with his customary eloquence, with which I agree entirely.

First, why do we need a definition in the Bill, given that the 1988 Act, as far as I can tell, does not use the term or make any reference to schools, and talks generically only of charities? If the concern is to make a differentiation between independent schools and academies as state-funded and independent schools, it would surely be much simpler to make clear that the Bill does not apply to academies. The only conclusion you can reach is the one that my noble friend reached: the novel insertion of this definition is simply to shoehorn what I am afraid is party-political dogma into this legislation, and that makes for bad law.

That leads me to my second point. At some point this legislation may well end up in the courts, when the legal definition of independent school, which has been long established in law, as my noble friend said, may become very important. Therefore, there needs to be certainty about definition, which there will not be if independent education is dealt with in different ways in different pieces of legislation. What steps have been taken to ensure that this definition is not compromised or contradicted in some way in other legislation, which will at some point down the line cause real legal uncertainty?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

My Lords, as the Committee and the Minister know by now, we on these Benches are opposed to the whole of Clause 5, and I will start my remarks by making the case that it should not stand part of the Bill; rather, we urge the Government to think again and remove it.

First, as we debated at Second Reading, there is the point of principle. On what basis should the Government identify a single group of charities, with no concerns about the delivery of their charitable objects, for separate treatment in relation to business rates from their charitable peers? Sadly, the only plausible reason is that it reflects some ideology that does not respect the right of parents to choose the education for their child. I am not suggesting that the Minister sees it in that way, and I accept that the Government’s plan to tax education for the first time ever in this country’s history were in their manifesto, but I cannot find another logical basis for this choice.

Secondly, this picture is confirmed when we look at the amount of money that will be raised from this change. The Government project that only £70 million will be raised. Finally, it leaves the risk that in future legislation in this area, this or a future Government will carve out another group of charities that they believe no longer justify the business rates relief. This feels a wrong-headed choice, and I very much hope that the Minister will encourage his colleagues to review it and remove the clause.

I turn to Amendments 55, 56, 59 and 62. Amendment 55 is consequential and necessary to enable the later amendments. I have tabled it to exempt specific independent schools from this measure. Amendments 56 and 59 are probing amendments to understand what is meant by the term “or other consideration” in the context of fees payable for the provision of full-time education. I would be grateful if the Minister could give the Committee an example of where another consideration has been used in practice wholly or partly to replace fees.

Amendment 62 highlights the position of smaller independent schools, many of which charge significantly less than the independent school average of £27,642, which was the figure the Minister in the other place gave as the mean annual day fee as of January 2024. I appreciate that the Government are unlikely to agree with the fee level in my amendment, but it would be helpful for the Committee to hear whether there is a fee level below which this legislation would not apply. As the Minister knows, some faith schools in particular charge lower fees than the state school equivalent per pupil funding rate. Would the Government consider exempting schools that charge less than the per pupil funding rate from this tax.

As we have heard, Amendments 54A, 55A, 59A, 69C, 69D, 77 and 78 in the names of my noble friends Lord Lexden and Lord Black of Brentwood would replace the use of “private school” with “independent school”. I agree with my noble friends’ analysis of the importance of this and some of the factors that sit behind it. The term “private school” is much more informal, and in legislation it is more commonplace to use “independent school”. We support those amendments fully; I hope the Minister will give careful consideration to them.

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[Baroness Barran (Con)]

My Lords, in moving Amendment 63, I will speak to all of the other amendments in this group. Amendment 63 would exempt schools that provide bursaries that amount to more than 7% of a school’s income. This is a small cost, but comes at a time when private schools are already facing higher costs from the Government’s decision to impose VAT on them. I am concerned that schools will not have room in their budgets to continue providing the same level of means-tested fee assistance. I hope the Minister agrees that the provision of bursaries is an important factor in enabling children from less affluent homes to access independent education.

Amendment 64 would exempt schools which provide education for gifted arts students, including music and drama. These schools tend to be small independent schools, which will not be able to absorb the costs that the Government are imposing on them. Our worry is that they will be forced to close, and the culture that is so essential to our society will no longer be available in the same way. The Minister will know of the real concerns in this sector and the impact that it risks having on our creative industries, which are such an important engine of growth in this country. These are students who attend a private school based on their exceptional talent. I hope the Minister will reflect on how best to avoid narrowing opportunities for children who access this small group of schools.

Amendment 66 would exempt schools where 10% of pupils have a parent or guardian in the Armed Forces. If I have understood correctly, it seems unfair that while the children of foreign diplomats and international military personnel will be exempted from these additional costs on independent schools, specifically VAT, the same benefits are not being offered to the children of our own Armed Forces personnel. As such, it seems fair to suggest that the children of those personnel, who provide invaluable service to this country, are treated with the same level of respect.

I very much support the spirit of my noble friends Lord Black and Lord Lexden’s Amendments 69A and 69B. Clearly, the spirit of Amendment 69A aligns with my amendments in this group, and Amendment 69B highlights the invaluable work that some independent schools do in relation to children in care. I beg to move.

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 69A and 69B in my name and that of my noble friend Lord Lexden as well as to Amendment 64 in the name of my noble friend Lady Barran, to which I have added my name. I refer to my earlier declaration of interests and, for this group, I add that I am the chairman of the Royal College of Music.

On music, let me start with Amendment 64, which is an extremely important amendment. It would have long-term ramifications well beyond the terms of this Bill because specialist music education for gifted students is central to the future of our creative economy, and it therefore needs to be seen in a wider context. As noble Lords will be aware, the UK’s creative industries are vital to our future. With the economy stalling, this is one sector which, for the time being, continues to grow. It employs hundreds of thousands of people, earns huge amounts in exports and provides an essential component of the UK’s soft power, something that is more important now than ever. Right at the centre of the creative economy is music, which powers the rest of the industry.

In turn, the future of music depends absolutely on first-class, specialist music education in schools, conservatoires and universities to provide a pipeline of talent into the sector. Without that education, music dies. However, music education, including that provided by specialist schools in the independent sector, is in trouble and has been for a long time. Music has been squeezed out of the curriculum. The number of pupils taking music at GCSE and A-level has plummeted. Many schools no longer have dedicated music professionals teaching the subject. Indeed, if pupils have access to a dedicated music professional today, it is likely to be because of a partnership with an independent school. From primary schools right the way through to the end of full-time education, music is under threat as never before.

We see the results of that every day, most recently with the appalling decision of Cardiff University to close its school of music, the largest in Wales, something that the world-renowned composer Sir Karl Jenkins has put down to the decline of specialist music education in schools. The closure of the school follows hard on the heels of the closure of the junior department of the Royal Welsh conservatoire, which has enormous repercussions for music in Wales and beyond. At such a time of crisis for music education, which I have to say has not improved in any way since the general election, despite so many promises before it, the last thing we need is for independent specialist music schools, those providing education for gifted students under the music and dance scheme, as well as the leading choir schools to be threatened. It is crucial that they continue to provide music, dance and drama teaching to the most gifted students if we are to protect the pipeline of talent into the music industry.

The future of these schools and their continuing ability to provide world-class teaching will be much more secure if they are protected from full business rates. This is not a niche subject or special interest pleading; it is fundamental to the artistic future of our country and the success of the creative economy. Does the Minister acknowledge the vital importance of the pipeline of musical and dramatic talent into our creative industries? If he does, will he explain why the Government are putting it in jeopardy in this way?

Amendments 69A and 69B deal with boarding schools. Boarding schools play a vital role in our education system, with around 65,000 boarding pupils educated in the independent sector. They contribute just over £3 billion each year to our economy, generating £900 million in revenue for the Exchequer and supporting more than 64,000 jobs. Like the rest of the sector, they are a vital instrument of soft power and one of our strongest exports. Like the rest of the independent sector, they are already under significant strain as a result of not just VAT but the damaging increase in employers’ national insurance contributions. For many, especially the smaller schools, the end of business rates relief will be a huge added burden. Already the signs of the impact are clear: the Government’s figures show that visa applications to study at UK independent schools fell by 23% in the first two quarters of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. That is a significant straw in the wind.

Recently, one agent told the Boarding Schools Association:

“This tax penalty is making our clients think twice and wonder if the UK is still the holy grail of academia”.


Another commented:

“The reputation of British boarding is already damaged and while it was the destination 10 years ago, it is now one of many”.


With international numbers down and likely to fall further, now is not the time to be adding to the increasingly intolerable burden on so many boarding schools with the withdrawal of business rates relief.

Boarding schools play a crucial role in a number of areas, including the provision of places for military personnel serving our country at home and abroad, as my noble friend said, and for vulnerable pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. My two amendments seek to recognise their importance and, in certain circumstances, exempt them from the withdrawal of relief.

Amendment 69A would discount boarding facilities from a school’s business rates bill if 10% of boarders are on a government continuity of education allowance, or CEA. This reflects the importance of boarding provision for the children of those who serve our country and often risk their lives for it. In the last academic year, 4,000 pupils were supported by CEA for 2,666 service personnel and their families. By easing the commercial pressures on them, this exemption would give a measure of continued support and protection to schools providing places for CEA pupils and reflect the inherent public benefit in ensuring that service families have confidence that they can provide a stable school life for their children.

In the same vein, Amendment 69B would discount boarding facilities from a school’s business rates bill if that school is supporting looked-after pupils supported either directly by local authorities or by charities. It recognises the hugely important role of boarding schools in educating some of the most vulnerable children and the significant pastoral support that they provide. One of the best known charities supporting this work is the Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation. The RNCSF widens access to the opportunities available for young people facing the greatest barriers to their development. Along with local authority and community organisation partners, it works with boarding and independent schools to help them target their fully funded school places on the young people who need them most and help them access them effectively. To date, it has supported more than 1,000 pupils, 98% of whom get two or more A-levels, compared to 16% of disadvantaged children.

Brentwood is one school the RNCSF works with, taking students into boarding places, hosting regional interview days and supporting its excellent campaign to help children in care who are applying to university with their UCAS applications. This is clear public benefit work, supporting not only society’s priorities for vulnerable children but assisting our stretched local authorities support children in their care to achieve their full potential. This is, rightly, an intensive and involved process for any school to engage in to ensure that pupils have the right level of support and guidance around them at school. If anything properly fits the definition of a charitable activity clearly in the public interest, it is this. My question to the Minister is: why on earth do the Government judge that the facilities that care for and support these young people are unworthy of charitable relief?

These are all focused amendments which do not in any way challenge the central tenets of the legislation but recognise the special importance and public policy significance of crucial aspects of independent education. They seek to protect those schools educating gifted students whose careers will power the creative economy, children of military families who serve our country and those who are vulnerable because of special needs. I hope the Minister will accept them. Not to do so would, frankly, be callous and short sighted.

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[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, I support all the amendments in this group but I shall speak in particular to Amendment 72A in my name and that of my noble friend Lord Lexden. I refer to my earlier declaration of interests.

The Minister has been very emollient and courteous in batting off all our amendments today; I thank him for the way he has dealt with them. Although he and his colleagues throughout government like to bury their heads in the sand and pretend otherwise—as we have seen, I am afraid—the impact of their onslaught on independent education, of which the removal of business rates is just one strand, will have profound ramifications for not just the sector and the children educated in it but a wide range of public policy areas. This is a bit like that game of Jenga, which we have probably all played, where blocks of wood are taken out until a point comes where the removal of one of them causes the whole edifice to crumble. That is what is in danger of happening here, with the sustained attack on independent education in danger of causing policy failure in a wide range of other areas.

Consider quite how far-reaching are the consequences of this policy underpinned by Clause 5. It impacts on public health and the care of vulnerable children; on the future of music, drama and the arts in the UK, which we have talked about today; on military families and defence personnel; on state schools, whose class sizes will increase; on multiculturalism and respect for different faiths; on jobs, export and investment; on local communities, volunteer groups, charities and so on, which depend on partnership with independent schools; on sport, as we have heard so eloquently described; and on soft power and Britain’s standing abroad. As a result of this web of different aspects that will be affected and will impinge on so many different aspects of government policy, it is vital there is an impact assessment of the consequences of Clause 5 taken in conjunction with the Government’s other policy changes. That is what my Amendment 72A provides for.

Apart from everything else, Parliament has a continuing responsibility to scrutinise the Government’s actions in this area. That is what this House, in particular, is here for. To do that, we need not just the data provided by the industry’s own excellent associations but data from across government and a detailed assessment of its implications. Given the profound changes to policy that Clause 5 exemplifies, ripping up five decades of orthodoxy about parental choice, such an impact assessment is the very least we should expect to allow us to fulfil our responsibilities and make clear to the public what its consequences are.

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

My Lords, I shall speak to Amendments 71 and 72 in my name and express my support for Amendment 72A in the name of my noble friend Lord Black of Brentwood. Amendment 71 would require an impact assessment on rescinded facilities that private schools offer to state schools. Amendment 72 would require an annual statement of how many pupils have been moved into the state system as a result of Clause 5. Many in this Committee have expressed concerns about the impact of the combined tax measures on private schools introduced by this Government. We had a number of examples from the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock. The changes announced in this legislation, combined with VAT applied to private schools, will no doubt harm many institutions. Indeed, as we have heard, we are already seeing the consequences of the Government’s decisions, with a number of private schools, including, most recently I think, Bedstone College in Shropshire, closing their doors.

As my noble friend Lord Lexden said in relation to an earlier group, there appears to be an emerging trend of small, rural private schools being particularly vulnerable. This raises the real risk of thousands of pupils across England being displaced and moving into the state system. As we discussed earlier, in particular parts of the country, that is not much pressure on the state system, but is potentially the reverse. However, in some parts of the country, such as Bristol or Surrey, schools are operating at full capacity. It is essential that we have proper oversight and transparency of the impact of this legislation on the state sector. It is with that in mind that I tabled Amendment 72. I also welcome Amendment 70 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Storey. It is clear that all of us share many of the same concerns.

On Amendment 71, as we have heard, many private schools have a long history of collaboration with state schools and of sharing their facilities and resources. My noble friend Lord Moynihan gave an eloquent exposition on the value of sports grounds, but theatres and science laboratories provided by private schools offer many state school pupils opportunities that otherwise they might not have. Therefore, the closure of such schools would be felt by state school students as well as private school students as they would lose access to these resources. The Minister says—and I understand why—that it reflects the Government’s expectations for these schools to continue to offer public benefit, and one option for that is sharing their facilities, but, as we have heard, their income is being pressured from a number of different directions, including by this legislation, so I urge the Minister to consider my Amendment 71 and all the others in this group.

Independent Schools

Debate between Baroness Barran and Lord Black of Brentwood

Monday 18th March 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper. In doing so, I declare my interest as chairman of governors at Brentwood School.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education (Baroness Barran) (Con)]

My Lords, independent schools are a small but incredibly important part of our school system. The independent sector is extremely diverse: it includes large, prestigious schools which are household names, but also many settings that serve dedicated faith communities and special schools that provide much-needed support to some of our most vulnerable pupils. The sector also brings valuable international investment to the UK, with over 25,000 pupils whose parents live abroad and who attend UK schools.

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. I agree with her that independent schools play a vital role, both in our education and in our economy. More than 600,000 children attend them, saving hard-pressed UK taxpayers more than £4 billion each year, because those pupils are not in the state sector. They are modern, diverse and inclusive, with a quarter of them, including many faith schools, being small schools educating fewer than 155 pupils, often with special educational needs.

Is my noble friend aware that 75% of independent schools, including schools such as Brentwood, are engaged in fantastic partnerships with the state sector and with their local communities, covering everything from well-being and sports to teacher training, and that more than 8,700 projects were delivered in the last academic year? Would she agree that imposing new tax burdens on independent schools would simply undermine such partnerships, to the detriment of thousands of children, and threaten hundreds of small schools delivering specialist provision to vulnerable pupils?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

I absolutely agree with my noble friend, and I thank Brentwood School and other schools involved in the types of partnerships that he described. We have such an asset in our independent schools, and this Government are focusing on encouraging more partnership work and understanding how all our pupils can benefit from that.

Music Education in State Schools

Debate between Baroness Barran and Lord Black of Brentwood

Wednesday 2nd March 2022 Lords Chamber

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper. I declare interests as chairman of the Royal College of Music and a governor of Brentwood School.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education (Baroness Barran)]

My Lords, the Government are committed to high-quality education for all pupils and music is integral to this. We are working with experts to refresh the national plan for music education for publication later this year. This follows the publication of the Model Music Curriculum last year. We will also invest around £115 million a year, for the next three years, in music, arts and heritage education, including the network of music hubs working across England.

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. The sad, blunt truth is that music education in state schools is on life support. The number of pupils taking A-level music is down by a third since 2014—sadly, often because it is simply not available as a subject. GCSE applicants have come down by 17% over the same period and 29% of state schools have seen a reduction in the number of qualified music teachers, while the number of trainees is falling inexorably. Is my noble friend aware that while 50% of pupils in private schools get sustained music education, just 15% of state school pupils do so? Should this not be at the top of the levelling-up agenda? We need a national plan soon, so can she tell us more precisely when that is coming? Can we also be assured that practitioners and musicians will be able to have their say before it is implemented?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

The Government share my noble friend’s concern about the importance of music education in all of our schools. We see it, along with other arts subjects, as integral to a good, strong curriculum. In relation to the numbers that my noble friend quoted on the music GCSE, I point out that while he is right that uptake of the GCSE has declined, uptake of the VTQ—the vocational qualification—has increased, so actually there are almost 53,000 children today taking either the GCSE or the VTQ, compared to almost 50,000 in 2016. On the timing of the announcement of the plan, as I said, it will be later this year. I will take his recommendations on further consultation back to the department.

Music Festivals: Covid-19-related Cancellations

Debate between Baroness Barran and Lord Black of Brentwood

Tuesday 27th April 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

The Government are extremely keen that the festival-going public should have a chance to enjoy live events as quickly as possible, and that is what is behind our events research programme, but we need to be absolutely confident that any scheme would result in an increase in activity.

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con) [V]]

My Lords, I declare my interest as chairman of the Royal College of Music. My noble friend will be aware that many students rely on performances outside term time for income, which is vital to support their studies, and have therefore been particularly hard hit in this last year. Will she take the plight of students and recent graduates specifically into account when further considering this issue in order to ensure that the income of young performers is protected as far as possible this summer?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

My noble friend is of course right that that pipeline of performers is critical. I will share his concerns with colleagues in the department.

Office of Communications: Chair

Debate between Baroness Barran and Lord Black of Brentwood

Thursday 18th March 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con) [V]]

My Lords, I refer to my interests as set out in the register. Does my noble friend agree that just as important as the new chair of Ofcom are the new powers that Ofcom will have? The regulator will have significant extra responsibilities following online harms legislation and will have a vital role in working with the new digital markets unit to ensure that the platforms are subject to fair competition. Can she tell us what progress is being made on bringing forward the online harms legislation and, crucially, a Bill to give the digital markets unit the statutory powers it needs, particularly in the area of payment for content?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

My noble friend is right that it will be extremely important in future for Ofcom to co-ordinate its activities with other digital regulators, including the new digital markets unit being set up in the CMA. We are working at pace to prepare the online harms legislation, which will be ready later this year. In December, the Government received advice from the CMA on design and implementation of the new regime. We are carefully considering this and will consult on it as soon as possible.

Music and Performing Arts Students: Visas and Work Permits

Debate between Baroness Barran and Lord Black of Brentwood

Thursday 11th March 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con) [V]]

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper and declare my interest as chairman of the Royal College of Music.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Barran) (Con)]

My Lords, the Government recognise the importance of international touring for UK cultural and creative practitioners. British music and performing arts students seeking to tour within the EU are now required to check domestic immigration and visitor rules for individual member states. The DCMS-led working group on creative and cultural touring, involving sector representatives and other key government departments, is working to assess the impacts and ensure that the sector gets the clarity and support it needs.

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con) [V]]

My Lords, we are all aware of the damage to the creative economy from the new visa and work permit requirements for EU touring, with jobs lost and tours cancelled, but perhaps hardest hit are students in music and the performing arts. Does my noble friend acknowledge that students need to perform in Europe to progress their careers and enrich their education, but now cannot because the cost of work permits and the bureaucracy of multiple visa applications are prohibitive? It is essential we reach bilateral agreements on work permits with member states urgently if we are not to blight a generation of students, so can my noble friend tell the House what progress has been made on that front?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

The Government absolutely agree with my noble friend about the importance of touring for students, both within the EU and more broadly around the world. He will be aware that our rules for touring creative professionals are more generous than those of many EU member states. The working group to which I referred met for the first time on 5 February to try to get clarity on the issues impacting creative professionals and how best to support them. I reassure my noble friend that we are working across government to address the important issues he raises.

European Union: Visa-free Touring for Musicians

Debate between Baroness Barran and Lord Black of Brentwood

Tuesday 19th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

There were a number of drawbacks to the EU proposals, which did not meet the requirements of our sectors, as I mentioned; they covered only ad hoc performances, they were non-binding and did not address technical staff or work permits. Our door absolutely remains open to reviewing these points, but in the meantime we will do everything we can to support our sectors.

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con) [V]]

My Lords, I declare my interest as chairman of the Royal College of Music. Will my noble friend acknowledge that the current impasse will have a profoundly damaging impact on UK students, who need to travel to progress their careers but, as they will not earn large fees at that stage of their lives, will find themselves priced out of the market because of expensive and complex visa requirements? As there seems to be political will on both sides to ensure that musicians can continue to work freely in Europe, do we not owe it to students, above all else, to get back to the negotiating table to sort this out?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

My noble friend raises a very important point. There are two different issues here: on going back to the negotiating table, as I said to the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, our door is absolutely open but, in the short term, understanding the picture for students and how we can support them is part of our work—if there are specifics my noble friend would like to share with me, I will endeavour to make sure that fellow Ministers are briefed on them.

Covid-19: Arts Sector

Debate between Baroness Barran and Lord Black of Brentwood

Tuesday 15th December 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper and declare my interest as chairman of the Royal College of Music.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Barran) (Con)]

My Lords, the Government recognise the significant challenge that the current pandemic poses to our arts sector and to the many individuals, including freelances, working across it. We are working very hard to help freelancers in those sectors access support, including through the self-employment income support scheme and funding from Arts Council England.

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, the Covid emergency has been a catastrophe for music and other parts of the creative economy, and in particular for the freelancers who make up 72% of those working in the performing and visual arts. Nearly four in five of them earn less than £30,000 per year and many are having to rely on universal credit. Can my noble friend tell us what steps are being taken to ensure that the support that the Government are giving to music and the arts, including the £165 million recently announced, will directly benefit freelancers, and when will freelancers have the security of a revised road map to return to live performances once restrictions are eased?

EU: British Musicians

Debate between Baroness Barran and Lord Black of Brentwood

Wednesday 3rd June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran]

I am sorry if I was not clear; I was aiming to refer specifically to those in the performing arts. There are not currently plans for a unilateral agreement. We are optimistic that we can reach an effective reciprocal agreement. We are not looking for a bespoke or unique deal. We are trying to build on existing free trade agreements and ensure that they are appropriate for our performing arts and wider service sectors.

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, I declare my interest as chairman of the Royal College of Music. At the end of the transition period, new customs requirements will come into force which mean that musicians will be required to purchase an ATA carnet, costing up to £700. For many musicians who struggle financially at the best of times, let alone after the disaster of Covid, that is a big cost which many will not be able to afford. Will the Government either cover the cost of these carnets or include a cultural exemption for musical instruments, so that they are not required?

[Baroness Barran]

My noble friend is right that the carnet can be expensive, particularly for individual musicians. That is why we are trying to negotiate a reciprocal deal, which may mean that there are new processes that musicians will have to comply with. But we hope that they will be practical and workable for them.

Covid-19: Music Sector and Creative Economy

Debate between Baroness Barran and Lord Black of Brentwood

Thursday 23rd April 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Black of Brentwood (Con)]

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, and in doing so I declare my interest as chairman of the Royal College of Music.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Barran) (Con)]

My Lords, the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to many of DCMS’s sectors, including, of course, music and the wider creative industries. The Government have announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, £330 billion of government-backed guaranteed loans to support businesses, and the self-employed income support scheme. We are continuing to work very closely with partners across music and the creative industries to understand the impact of Covid-19 on their activities and to provide the necessary support.

[Lord Black of Brentwood]

I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Music, the bedrock of our creative economy, is in deep trouble. The virus has had a terrible impact on the sector, because music cannot exist without audiences and human contact, and both have disappeared along with the livelihoods of thousands of musicians. Is my noble friend aware that four in 10 creative organisations, where many hourly-paid musicians are employed, have seen their income drop by 100%? The truth is that the music business model is being destroyed as a result. As it becomes clear that mass gatherings are likely to be the last to be reintroduced after lockdown, and with many event cancellations having started in January, this will be a devastating lost year for the whole sector and so many individual artists. Does my noble friend agree that there must be an urgent sector-specific package of financial support for music and the arts, similar to the €50 billion programme in Germany, to ensure that the sector and all those who work in it survive the emergency?

[Baroness Barran]

My noble friend is right to highlight the huge challenges to cash flow for these sectors of our economy. The Government, as I said earlier, have focused on offering very broad support, and doing so at scale and at pace. My honourable friend the Minister for Digital and Culture is meeting representatives from the music industry and the wider creative industries on a weekly basis to understand individual impacts, gather the evidence and then see what we can do to support them on any issues that emerge from that.