Malcolm defends children's rights to a good musical education
Children's access to music suffers under
SNP
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab):
Will
the minister tell us even one way in which children's access to music provision
has improved in the past year? Is it not the case that cultural co-ordinators,
who are vital to widening access, are being run down and will be axed? In Edinburgh,
is not the council's SNP coalition administration depriving children of opportunities
to access and enjoy Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera? We welcome the continuation
of the youth music initiative, but is not its budget flatlining in cash terms
and therefore declining in real terms?Linda
Fabiani: It is interesting that I am being
asked all those questions when I am the first minister with responsibility for
culture and the arts in Scotland to try to map the provision of music in outreach,
education and other activity throughout the country. That has never been done
before. Provision has been piecemeal. For the first time, our national companies
are letting us know what work they do, so that we can see how to use them to
best advantage.
May 22nd 2008, (Columns 8928)