National Centre for Arts and Music Education

Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd April 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

Again, I start by thanking the noble Baroness, because I know the amount of work that went in, led by her and other colleagues. I reassure the House that although the report has not been published yet, its contents will be taken very seriously indeed. Of course, there will be future opportunities to feed into the process. The possibilities of the virtual space, tech and AI are, frankly, endless, and I look forward very much to hearing more about those ideas and seeing how we can make the most of them.

[Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Con)]

My Lords, although I welcome the new national centre for arts and music education, I am concerned that dance currently sits within the PE in the curriculum. Can the Minister confirm that dance will be included in and supported through the new centre?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness. She will know, from my personal interest and involvement with the dance sector, that I know that it feels that it needs to have a louder voice; she has quite ably established that that is the case. Dance is one of those areas linked with PE. There is probably a whole raft of reasons why that has been the case, but I know that it is an area of active consideration as to how we broaden this out and give dance the status that it feels that it does not have at this time.