To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the extent to which his draft orders for music in the national curriculum will meet his original intention of achieving a broad and balanced curriculum.

The Government's plans for the music curriculum for children aged five to 14 will ensure that all pupils for the first time receive a rigorous and balanced musical education as an integral part of a broad national curriculum. Our plans for increasing the choice of study available for 14 to 16-year-olds will ensure that pupils have the opportunity to follow their own particular inclinations and strengths, while still being required to pursue a broader and more balanced curriculum than hitherto.