Music Education: State Schools

Viscount Stansgate Excerpts

Tuesday 24th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Stansgate (Lab)]

My Lords, what an honour, privilege and pleasure to follow my noble friend Lady Debbonaire and congratulate her on her maiden speech. I do not think that I have ever been present for a maiden speech that has had to be made in more compressed circumstances as this, but even so, she spoke with great passion about a subject about which she knows a great deal and feels even more.

I congratulate my noble friend Lady Keeley on securing the debate. The fact that so many Members wanted to take part, and that we have such a short time, shows the Government Front Bench that, the next time this happens, we must have more time now.

I have only a minute or two, and I want to devote it all to praising my noble friend and what she brings to the House. She brings her musical talent. She brings her patronage of the arts. She brings her extensive experience over many years with women’s refuges; she was the national officer of the Women’s Aid Federation of England. She has authored books and papers about domestic violence and was the national research manager for the anti-domestic violence organisation Respect. She brings all this enormous and valuable experience to this House.

Of course, she brought that in equal measure to the other House. She was first elected a decade ago to represent the city of Bristol, which, I hope the House will understand, I have a lifelong family affection for. Five years later, she was already shadow Leader of the House, playing a busy part in the important parliamentary debates in the 2017 to 2019 parliamentary Session, before being appointed as shadow Secretary of State for DCMS. In that role, she did, if I may say so, an enormous amount to prepare for the Government who were elected in June last year.

I need hardly add, but I am proud to do so, that my noble friend is a cellist. She has performed professionally. Indeed, she still does, because she is a member—as Members may know—of the parliamentary string quartet, which has performed at both ends of the Palace of Westminster. I recommend it strongly when noble Lords get the chance. They are known as the Statutory Instruments because they used to rehearse in my noble friend’s office in the House of Commons, where piles and boxes of statutory instruments were used in lieu of music stands. I should perhaps declare an interest because my daughter, Emily, is the first violinist in the parliamentary string quartet.

I endorse everything my noble friend said in her maiden speech about the importance of music, and everything I have heard so far. When I look back on my own experience, my state secondary school had a fantastic music department: we learned to play instruments, and we had a choir and an entire orchestra. I do not think you can start music at too young an age. Both my children started at the age of five or just before; they do not know a life without music. I endorse everything that the noble Baroness, Lady Fleet, said about the importance of music to people’s lives. It is absolutely crucial. Both my children went on to study at the Royal College of Music. While there, they played in youth orchestras and toured over Europe, which is exactly why I am so strongly in favour of any moves to help improve the relationship for creative artists touring in Europe.

There is more I could say—my time is up—but we must not allow music to become the preserve of the private sector. I end by saying that I hope my noble friend enjoys a long and distinguished career in the House, and that the next time we hear from her there will be much more time to hear her opinions, judgment and passion. I hope the whole House will at least agree with that. Many congratulations to my noble friend.