Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to amend the budget of the Music and Dance Scheme after January 2025.

The government is committed to supporting specialist education in the creative sector, including the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS). This remains an important programme for giving opportunities for young people, allowing them access to specialist training and a pathway into the creative industries.

All the education providers on the scheme have been issued with grant funding agreements for the 2024/25 academic year and the final budget is set on the basis of the number of places that are filled and the relevant household income of parents or carers. The department is engaging with the eight providers that are private schools and are therefore subject to the VAT changes planned for January 2025. All the schools have also been made aware of the HM Treasury technical consultation which is open to 15 September, and they will be informed of the outcome of the consultation later this year.

The government is committed to extending opportunities for children and young people in the arts through a broader curriculum, ensuring all pupils in state-funded schools can access creative subjects such as music, alongside subjects such as maths and English.

Around 93% of school children in the UK attend state schools and ending the tax breaks on VAT, and business rates, for private schools is a tough but necessary decision that will secure additional funding to help deliver the government’s commitments relating to education and young people.