Last week's important Barbican report around the poor state of music access across the UK describes fully the evidence on growing elitism in young people's access both to music as a curriculum subject and as a career pathway, in particular for working class children, and it highlights a chronic lack of opportunity in accessing music provision and tuition for the poorest in society. The Professor Carr of South Wales University report 'Land of Song', which was launched at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee inquiry 'Hitting the Right Note', and various debates and statements of opinion to this place also, have scoped the very real issues facing Wales as a nation, and describe fully a growing lack of ability in Wales in accessing music, tuition, music support services and the opportunity pathways it provides. So, as a country solidly rooted in our musical history, heritage and legacy, and enjoying an international reputation exporting our music success, and international artists both popular and classical, the loss of systemic foundational teaching services is a loss to us all, and a loss of social diversity in our elite musical ensembles is also very worrying at many levels.

So, further to the various Welsh Government initiatives, I wish to ask for a full statement to this place that outlines to me and the likes of Owain Arwel Hughes CBE, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Welsh National Opera, the Musicians' Union, the association of music services of Wales, CAGAC, the Wales conservatoire, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the Incorporated Society of Musicians and others a full evaluation. Can I ask for the status and health of our current, non-statutory music education performance provision across Wales, after now nearly a decade of austerity and the inevitable shrinkage of Welsh local government non-statutory services; an analysis of what mitigations are in place and are being strategically planned to counter and stop the loss of non-statutory music education provision across Wales; the status of the development of a national music educational performance strategy or plan; an analysis of the efficacy of legislating for statutory music support services; and, finally, the state of development of a Welsh Government-supported funding mechanism for local government to provide and/or commission a music teaching support service for Wales as part of a holistic national strategy for Wales? Thank you.