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Plight of Northamptonshire music service raised in Commons

BBC Sir Michael Ellis in light blue suit and blue tie standing up and speaking in the House of CommonsBBC
Sir Michael Ellis secured an adjournment debate to discuss financial pressures faced by NMPAT

Services provided by a county's music service could be hit after changes to its funding, an MP told the House of Commons.

Sir Michael Ellis said the increase in government grants for music lessons and performing groups in Northamptonshire could be wiped out by rising pension contributions.

During an adjournment debate, he urged the government to rethink the policy.

The government said it would give the issue "due consideration".

NMPAT Large orchestra made up of young players on stage at the Derngate theatreNMPAT
The Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust provides instrumental lessons and county ensembles

Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust (NMPAT) provides music lessons at schools across Northamptonshire and Rutland, and runs county ensembles, orchestras and choirs.

It broke away from Northamptonshire County Council in 2012 and became an independent charity.

It receives a grant from the Department for Education (DoE) to run Northamptonshire's music hub, which is worth £1,130,000.

Martin Heath/BBC Hundreds of children performing on stage in front of a full audience at the Derngate TheatreMartin Heath/BBC
NMPAT has involved thousands of youngsters in musical performances, including Benjamin Till's Nene in 2018

The recent teachers' pay award means NMPAT has to top-up its staff's pensions by £500,000.

During the adjournment debate, Sir Michael, the Conservative MP for Northampton North, told MPs: "The total annual cost of employer contributions for the teachers' pension scheme alone will be £1,150,000.

"This will be greater than their national music grant".

He added that NMPAT was now having to explore the idea of withdrawing its staff from the pension scheme.

He predicted that "aspects of NMPAT services will suffer severely if their national music grant is swallowed entirely by the new pension contributions, as is likely to happen if nothing is done."

MPs were told that the additional pension contributions for staff in schools were being fully funded by the government, but those for peripatetic teachers were not.

Andrew Lewer wearing a blue jacket and red tie speaking in the House of Commons
Andrew Lewer MP said NMPAT should be able to offer the same pensions as schools

Sir Michael's Northampton South counterpart, Andrew Lewer, said: "It would be quite wrong for music partnerships not to be able to offer teachers - reaching right across state schools in, for example, Northamptonshire - the same pensions as their less peripatetic fellow professionals."

Damien Hinds with short white hair and glasses wearing a blue shirt and standing up in the House of Commons
The schools minister, Damian Hinds, said increased pensions contributions would be given "due consideration" when grants were worked out

The schools minister, Damian Hinds, responded by saying: "The department is committed to providing funding to cover the increase in employer contribution rates for existing non-local authority hubs for the current academic year and officials are working to agree the precise amount."

He went on to say that a competition was under way to determine who would run music hubs for the next academic year, and funding discussions after that would give "due consideration" to the cost of pension contributions.

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