Musical Education in Inner London (Hansard, 16 February 1989)

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, the inner London boroughs have agreed that, following the abolition of the Inner London Education Authority. the City of Westminster should administer on their behalf certain centrally-managed provision for musical education in local authority schools in inner London. All those concerned aim to secure the future of provision such as that made by the Centre for Young Musicians.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Will the funding be as great as it was when ILEA was in charge? Has there been cross-borough co-operation, and will all of the boroughs align themselves with Westminster so that provision will be as good as it has been in the past?

§ Viscount Davidson
Yes, my Lords. However, funding will be on a different basis. It is expected that the City of Westminster will recoup the direct costs, for example tuition costs, from the other authorities on a per capita basis. Two boroughs have indicated that they do not wish to participate at the moment. That is a decision which the boroughs have to reach for themselves. All the other boroughs acknowledge that administration by Westminster will be in their best interests.

§ Lord Birkett
My Lords, in view of that very encouraging reply may one assume that other musical activities closely associated with the centre such as the London Schools Symphony Orchestra, instrumental tuition and the Junior Centres for Young Musicians may also be assured of a bright future?

§ Viscount Davidson
Yes, my Lords, I can give that assurance.

§ Baroness Birk
My Lords, as I understand it, the Government have made a commitment only for the next few years. Is it not essential for the development of the arts in this country that the Centre for Young Musicians and similar high-grade centres in other parts of the country catering for music, or for dance and drama, should not be put at risk, which many feel that they are at present, but encouraged and maintained? Should not the selection of talented youngsters be on the basis of their ability and not, as is likely to be the case, of their parents' ability to pay? Does the Minister recall that that was the principle which many noble Lords tried to amend in the Education Reform Act?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I am optimistic that all the tuition which is offered at present will be available in the future. So far as concerns the London Schools Symphony Orchestra, the Government are commissioning a feasibility study into the possible ambit, funding and organisation of a trust which could be a supplementary source of funds and advice and might be able to support the activities of the LSSO.

Lord Morris
My Lords, will my noble friend name the two boroughs that have declined to contribute to the new plans for the Centre for Young Musicians?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, the two boroughs are Hackney and Wandsworth. In the end, they will have to reach that decision for themselves. However, it is acknowledged that the present central provision is first rate, so it seems to us that boroughs should make use of it so far as possible. There is certainly no reason for a borough to feel that it must go it alone just because its children have not participated fully in the central facilities hitherto.

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, is the Minister aware that there have been considerable delays in setting up the trust to which he has just referred? I believe that that was first discussed as long ago as nine months. Is he also aware that matters are not entirely as they should be in the city of Westminster? The chief executive, who has been the main officer negotiating the transfer of education from the ILEA, has just been sacked and has not been replaced. Will the Minister reassure the House that if there are to be further delays he will consider transferring responsibility for the Centre for Young Musicians to a more reliable London borough than the City of Westminster?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I do not agree with the noble Baroness. The City of Westminster is prefectly reliable in that respect. This will be a matter for the City of Westminster in conjunction with the other inner London boroughs, and those boroughs have agreed that that will be the best arrangement.

§ Viscount Mersey
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that London is now the most important musical centre in the world and that we now have five orchestras and five music colleges compared with New York, which has only one, Paris, which has only one, and Rome, which has none? In view of that state of affairs, will he assure the House that the funding will remain adequate to maintain both the quantity and the quality of music in what is undoubtedly the music capital of the world?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, as a practising musician myself, I shall certainly take a personal interest in the matter.

§ Lord Peston
My Lords, bearing in mind the stringent conditions in the Education Reform Act regarding the ability to charge, is there any danger that talented young musicians who wish to use the centre will be unable to do so because they will not be able to afford the cost of the musical instruments?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, that is a matter for the inner London boroughs to determine. Under the provisions of the Education Reform Act, local education authorities will be able to decide whether parents should pay for individual instrumental tuition or for group tuition out of school hours. If authorities decide to pass on to parents tuition costs at the Centre for Young Musicians, school governing bodies may decide to remit the charges.