Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of grants to county council music services and hubs.

The department is responsible for Music Hubs policy, while Arts Council England administers grants, monitors performance and reports on programme activity, effectiveness and impact. Their published Music Hubs dashboard provides data from 2012/13 to 2024/25.

The department commissioned an independent evaluation of Music Hubs. Findings from the interim report, published on 6 February 2026, included that:

• Parents reported improvements in children’s confidence and social development with approximately half saying their child could not have accessed opportunities without school or hub support.
• Schools and parents praised the quality of hub music services.
• Most hubs provide tailored support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with more schools using this support since 2024.

A final evaluation report is due towards the end of next year and future grant funding for Music Hubs from September 2027 will be confirmed in due course.