Thank you very much, acting Presiding Officer. I'd like to begin by thanking Rhianon for bringing forward this debate today. I'm sure that all Members would recognise her determination and her passion for the subject, and I'm sure we'd all agree that the same is true of Bethan also.

Acting Presiding Officer, one of the joys of being the Cabinet Secretary for Education is visiting schools the length and breadth of Wales, and whenever I do music is involved, whether that's a samba band in Llandeilo, an African drumming band in Hay-on-Wye just this week, steel bands in Cardiff, the violin group in Wrexham, and, I have to say, my particular favourites, the ukuleles in Pembrokeshire—and, of course, there is always a choir—I am always blown away by the musical talent that I see throughout our nation. I'm very happy to confirm that music forms an important element of the school curriculum. It's a statutory subject for all learners at both key stages 2 and 3, and the place of music is secure in the development of our new curriculum. 

As Members will be aware, there will be six areas of learning and experience, including one for the expressive arts, and I'm confident that this ensures an even more prominent position for the arts, including music, as we go forward. Music education contributes to the development of engaged and informed citizens by ensuring that all of our young people, from whatever their background, can develop their talents and skills through study and participation, whether individually or collectively.

Since taking up the role of Cabinet Secretary for Education, I have worked hard alongside Cabinet colleagues to ensure that we're supporting schools in delivering quality music education. We have taken forward the issues highlighted in the 2015 report by the music services task and finish group. This year, I am providing additional funding of £1 million, with a further £1 million in 2019-20, to enhance the delivery of music services, and this is on top of existing moneys provided to local authorities to deliver music services. I and my officials are working closely with the Welsh Local Government Association on this topic, and I am confident that we will be able to agree an approach to further enhancing support for music services.

I'm also committed to ensuring that young people who want to progress to individual music tuition have the chance to do so. Access to these opportunities not only develops learners musicality, but also contributes to the acquisition of wider skills and benefits, as outlined just a moment ago by Bethan, such as discipline, perseverance and general well-being. That is why I made £220,000 available last year for local authorities to purchase musical instruments so as to ensure that those most in need of access to an instrument had it.

We also instigated a national musical instruments amnesty. This resulted in over 80 good-quality instruments being donated and redistributed to young people and orchestras. Indeed, only this week, somebody arrived at my constituency office with a trumpet—a little beyond the amnesty, but we're very grateful to receive it. This followed the successful pilot at the Welsh Government and National Assembly that saw over 60 instruments being donated by Government and Assembly staff, as well as a number of Assembly Members here as well who donated instruments.

Musical ensembles, as we've also heard this afternoon, play an essential role in supporting our young people to access performance opportunities and providing a career pathway to becoming professional musicians. I believe that all young people, no matter what their background, who are talented enough to gain a place on one of the ensembles, should be able to participate. Therefore, I welcome the establishment of National Youth Arts Wales, who, in 2018-19, entered their first full year of managing and developing the six national youth ensembles. In addition, last year, I provided £280,000 to local authorities for their contribution to national performance ensembles.

I've also supported the establishment, as we have heard, of a music endowment for Wales to support additional musical activities for young people—an exciting and innovative initiative, which is the first of its kind in Wales. Launched in February as 'Anthem' and founded on close collaboration between the education and culture departments here at the Government and the Arts Council of Wales, the endowment is our long-term and sustainable approach to funding. It is aimed at increasing musical opportunities for young people across Wales into the future—not to replace existing music services, but to enhance them. We have allocated £1 million to help set up and provide moneys for the endowment, which we hope will be built up by charitable donations from a variety of approaches and public and private stakeholders. It is essential we give young people access to these experiences out of school, just as the new curriculum will give them greater opportunities within school. I believe that the endowment will be a genuinely innovative and groundbreaking initiative, and one that is made in Wales.

The creative learning through the arts plan, founded on our partnership with the arts council, and supported with funding of £20 million, is recognised internationally for its visionary approach to supporting creativity across the curriculum. The positive evaluation feedback on this programme shows clearly that it's supporting schools in utilising creativity and the arts, including music—