Therefore, we move on to the short debate.

There'll be no votes this afternoon. We've broken out in some unison on hydrogen—[Interruption.]—'unison' I said there. We'll move on to the short debate.

I'll ask Rhianon Passmore to speak on her topic.

I'm sure Members will be leaving quietly, and when we have a degree of calm in the Chamber, we'll start the short debate. Rhianon Passmore.

Diolch, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to be able to give a minute of this debate—sadly, only a minute—to my colleagues Jayne Bryant, across the Chamber, Sam Rowlands and Delyth Jewell. Diolch.

The Deputy Presiding Officer took the Chair.

In Wales it is right that from September our new national plan for Wales prescribes that a lack of money does not prevent in particular our young people from learning music, further that music is not anymore the birthright for those who can afford to pay to play. This, I think, is our shared Welsh vision, and I place on record my gratitude for the furthering and safeguarding of our great cultural legacy. Wales has long been recognised around the world as the land of song, and this became the title of my first ever commissioned report to this place by the eminent Professor Paul Carr, and its contributors were global artists and professionals of Wales. Because we have so much to be proud of, our champion choirs and brass bands, our internationally recognised composers, our pop and rock bands, and our renowned recording artists and conductors on digital global platforms, it is true simply to say that Wales punches above its weight when it comes to music.

But this visible aural success has also been our greatest downfall. Masking the chaos of austerity impacts on our factories of music making, to paraphrase the very great Max Boyce. For much of the COVID pandemic, the music was silent. Our music of Wales in all its many coats of vibrant, colourful diversity was silenced. Venues closed, concerts cancelled. From the biggest stadia to our smallest community music groups, there was silence. Rehearsals silenced, for the greater good. A cultural grieving took hold, and people suffered, because music matters. It calms, it eases pain, it relaxes, it heals. Our Welsh hills and green valleys, like the greening of the coal tips now, are starting to breathe once again, alive with the sound of music once more.

Deputy Llywydd, to make needed change is why we are all here. However, as politicians, we must be honest and take a long, hard look in the mirror. Our various culture and Welsh language committee reports evidenced, as I'm sure Delyth Jewell will highlight, first-hand the unsustainable future. Witnesses like the great conductor Owain Arwel Hughes voiced that the engines of our global success were closing down the very lifeblood, draining from infrastructure—unsustainable. Our music support services withering due to austerity and COVID a loss not only to our youth, a loss to our national legacy and a loss to our global reputation as the land of song.

So, today, Minister, what is different? I believe, truly believe, that we are at the cusp of a new opportunity, unlimited, that we are steering in now new territory and that a new cultural renaissance in Wales can happen, that we can and will strengthen our musical and cultural scene and also our economy, most importantly through our funded access to music education, a priority for our future generations. There is a new vision for Wales. The strengthening of our music education is important to rebuild and support the well-being of our young people after coronavirus. And in this week where thousands flock to Cardiff to see a massive concert headlined by the great Sir Tom and the Stereophonics, we need to ask how do we nurture the next Shirley, Manics, Bryn Terfel, Catrin Finch, Claire Jones. Hugely important to this is our newly announced national plan for music, our national plan for music education and our National Music Service, and I'm hugely proud that a cornerstone of these plans will be universality, that every young person in Wales will have the opportunity to access music education and to learn an instrument. That company such as those in Merthyr that are producing socially procured plastic trumpets will be benefiting. 

I have said many times in this Chamber that music education should be based on the ability to play and not the ability to pay. Key to this is that these new ambitious proposals are properly financed. So, I welcome greatly the £13.5 million of funding to local authorities and their music services, which is so necessary and a very healthy start to the upskilling of all of our Welsh pupils, with proper access routes to elite pathways. This policy matters because it is about what we stand for as a country, who we are, and what we invest in in our future to cascade to the world. So, I'd like to thank the Minister wholeheartedly for his commitment to delivering on the National Music Service, which I believe has sincere support and consensus across this Chamber. And I want to briefly, if I may, pay tribute to all of those who have joined me in campaigning on this issue over a number of years to ensure that it has remained on the political agenda. I have already mentioned Owain Arwel Hughes and his passionate advocacy, Craig Roberts and his amazing network of musicians, and Vanessa David. I will also mention my sister, Eluned, and many, many more.

And, of course, music does not exist within a vacuum. Creating a strong music sector relies on there being a vibrant cultural sector. Television, film, theatre and festivals provide an opportunity to showcase Welsh musical talent. During the last Senedd term, we saw the launch of Creative Wales to co-ordinate the growth of creative industries across Wales, and, despite the baptism of fire, the organisation has grown into the role, supporting the creative sector through unprecedented challenges, yet there is more opportunity, Dirprwy Lywydd, and room for co-operation and support across our different sectors. The arts are often intrinsically linked and economically of great significance to Wales, and I hope that Creative Wales and the Welsh Government will champion and work together in consensus to grow this co-operation.

Lastly, this position is fragile, and in order to maintain it we must cherish our talent. And while there is much to celebrate in the progressive work Welsh Government has undertaken, we must ensure that the outcomes are properly measured so that policies deliver what they are meant to do, that precious public funding is utilised—every penny in the arts, every pound. To conclude, I believe we should celebrate, though, the huge strides forward and avoid blowing our own trumpet. We must ensure that the National Music Service lives up to its founding principles: that we truly create music education that's accessible to everyone and that we are giving our youngsters the very best opportunities just to be well or to be musical stars. Finally, I believe we will see that new cultural renaissance if we all in this Chamber work together to achieve it, and that the dragon and the phoenix will rise again. Diolch.

It's a pleasure to take part in this debate, and I'd like to congratulate my colleague and friend Rhianon Passmore on her dedication and continued excellent work in this field. Access to culture and music is so crucial for any child's development, and it should never be a luxury available only to those who can afford it. Wales prides itself as a country of poets and singers, where to be privileged is to be born with music in your heart and poetry in your soul. We must do everything we can to ensure that our proud tradition continues and all generations are able to experience and contribute to the cultural scene. Fostering a desire in children and young people to actively participate in music making, both in their school and the wider community, can act as a catalyst for creativity, expression and imagination that has the potential to not only benefit them, but society as a whole. This is the mantra that the wonderful Gwent Music have held since their inception.

I proudly chair the cross-party group on arts and health, where we have seen so many examples of where the arts are having beneficial impacts on people's lives. From keeping residents in social care engaged with music from their youth, and helping older people regain their confidence after a fall with dance, to the benefits of singing games to children who are long-term and sick in hospital, the examples go on and on, and the impact is on all age groups. Music and the arts in our culture are a force for good. Long may that continue, and a huge thank you to all those who tutor, teach and make that happen. Diolch yn fawr.

Can I also thank Rhianon Passmore for submitting today's important short debate and for allowing me to contribute briefly this evening? As I have stated a number of times in the Chamber, music is extremely important to our culture here in Wales, and it's important to all walks of life, to all sorts of different people, and at different points in their life as well. In addition to this, I've personally found music beneficial to me, along with my family. I think the last time there was a short debate here in December on a similar topic, I let Members know where my daughters were up to in terms of their piano lessons, and you'll be pleased to know that 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm' is no longer being played; we've moved on to the 'Watchman's Song', which is a great relief to my ears, and 'The Music Box' is no longer being played—we're on to 'The Year 1620'—by the eldest. They're doing excellently. But music in bringing people together, in bringing families together, bringing communities together, is really important, and also in terms of education and lifelong skills. That's why I support this call for increased access for people to musical instruments and to learn those instruments as easily as possible. And that's why, last month, it was positive to see the Chamber welcome the Government's national music service, and, as I've outlined before, it's crucial that charities, businesses and co-operatives such as the Denbighshire and Wrexham music co-operative are encouraged and supported in improving access to music for all. I will remind Members that my sister-in-law is also a peripatetic teacher, in case there's any conflict there at all. But the importance of people having access to those lessons, and access to those instruments, is vital. So, again, I'd like to thank Rhianon Passmore for bringing forward today's debate and I certainly support her continued advocacy of this important part of life here in Wales. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Diolch, Rhianon—this is just such a lovely debate, isn't it? I'm delighted about the Government's announcement in this area. I come from a family of musicians, and my sister and I both benefited when we were in school from having music lessons. I had singing, piano and clarinet lessons. Do not ask to play the clarinet; I only got to grade 1 in the clarinet, and it would not sound good, but that's not down to the teachers; it's because I didn't practice.

Rhianon mentioned the amazing work, as well, that the previous culture committee in the previous Senedd had done on this. I pay tribute to the work of the committee as well as to Rhianon in campaigning for this. As Rhianon has intimated, the evidence that we received as a committee showed that having access to music education doesn't just develop a skill in music; it helps children's well-being, their confidence, it helps them to flourish and to take delight in this wonderful thing. Music opens doors onto other worlds, it allows us to have joy in our lives, and I couldn't agree more with the sentiments Rhianon was conveying—why on earth should that be the privilege of the few who can afford it? We are a land of song, we're a nation of music lovers, and every child, every adult should be able to take part in that rich heritage. So, diolch yn fawr iawn, thank you again to Rhianon, for bringing forward this debate, for the work on this issue, and I am really just so pleased that the Government has done this. And, Sam, my mother was a peripatetic music teacher, so she'll be very pleased as well.

I call on the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language to reply to the debate—Jeremy Miles.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and may I thank Rhianon Passmore for bringing forward this important debate on music education? As I noted in my recent oral statement on the national music service and the national plan for music education, your passion and your commitment in campaigning on the importance of music education has been second to none. Many believe the plan ought actually to have been called the Rhianon Passmore plan for music education. But I also acknowledge her generous recognition of the contribution of many others to her campaign and lending their creative weight to the arguments that she has so diligently made, including the role of her own sister, which I know carries a particular significance for her. And I'll add my thanks as well to Jayne Bryant, and her words of thanks to the tutors and teachers across Wales who, day in day out, light up the lives of our young people by introducing them to the wonderful world of music.

Dirprwy Lywydd, as Rhianon Passmore mentioned in her opening speech, the theme for the debate links very clearly with the importance of taking active steps to support recovery in the wake of the COVID pandemic. It's certainly the case that the pandemic had a significant effect on music education and that a key focus now needs to be on rebuilding and supporting the well-being of our children and young people, and that this plays a significant role in that. The pandemic also notably, I think, impacted on the opportunities for making music with others as part of an ensemble or a choir or a brass band at school, community, local music service, or indeed at national level. And I think it's really worth noting that one of the key strands in the new plan is the programme on music for lifelong learning, health and well-being, which will focus on ensuring that learners, from an early age, are supported through music activities that we hope will inspire their senses and their imagination and that, through that, we'll banish the silence that Rhianon Passmore spoke about in her opening speech. 

This is one of a wide range of areas that is incorporated in the national music service model, which, as Members will know, has been developed through a co-construction process with our key stakeholders. Our vision for the service is to provide a radical new approach that many have spoken about for a long-term and sustainable future for music education. And, as a fundamental part of this, we want to ensure that all children and young people across Wales, regardless of background, have opportunities to access and engage in musical activities and to learn to play a musical instrument—those opportunities unlimited that Rhianon Passmore spoke about. 

And the foundation for the service I think, Dirprwy Lywydd, will be strengthened through close links with the curriculum to ensure access for all learners, providing enhanced opportunities for tuition and experiences. And with that significant funding investment of £4.5 million a year, a total of £13.5 million up to 2025, the national music service supports provision for schools and settings on a wider basis, music ensembles as well, and music in communities, together with professional learning for practitioners themselves. 

The delivery of the specific strands for primary and secondary schools and settings will start from September. In primary schools, learners will get a minimum of half a term of musical instrument taster sessions delivered by trained and skilled music practitioners, and these sessions will help children to progress in their experiences of taking part in and creating music, and will support each school's individual needs, if you like, in realising the expressive arts area of the curriculum. At a secondary level, schools will receive funding for experiences that will support young people's health and well-being and their progression to GCSE music, providing them with opportunities to develop in playing an instrument or singing, and so nurturing their talents and ambitions and hopefully discovering the new Shirley, the new Tom or new Catrin, as has been referred to already. 

The music service will be underpinned by the new national plan for music education. It sets out the vision that experiencing the joy of music in all its forms should be at the heart of every school and every setting, and it will help provide opportunities for all of our children and young people to play, sing, to take part in and to create music, both in the curriculum and also in the wider community. It will also provide a platform for celebrating that rich culture and national heritage that we have, which speakers in the debate have already referred to. 

And on that wider level of culturally focused support, if you like, in responding to the pandemic, we've provided over £60 million in funding for cultural organisations. Through the Arts Council of Wales, we're supporting the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Community Music Wales, Live Music Now Wales, Mid Wales Opera, Welsh National Opera, Trac Cymru and Tŷ Cerdd, and we are committed to seeing a culture sector that is accessible, diverse and inclusive, and the music sector is really leading the way on that. I'm sure we would all agree with that. 

I should add, in conclusion, Dirprwy Lywydd, that well-being has been a key focus of our wider approach to supporting learners with the impacts of the pandemic, and this is pat of that overall picture. Our renew and reform plan, which has been supported by over £270 million in the last financial year, placed learners' physical and mental health and well-being at the heart of its approach. And, whether it's the Summer of Fun or the Winter of Well-being, that has provided opportunities for access for many of our young people to cultural and creative activities as well. And I'm determined that the emphasis on well-being and flexibility that we've seen over the course of the pandemic is built upon in the work that we are talking about here today and closely aligned with the curriculum. And, through the programme of activities, the national music service will work to ensure that lack of money is not a barrier to learning to play an instrument and that every child and young person, no matter their background, no matter their family income, is able to benefit from music education, as many of us have. Diolch yn fawr.   

Thank you, everyone. That brings today's proceedings to a close. 

The meeting ended at 18:14.