ROYAL OPERA HOUSE AND THE PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATION

That this House congratulates the Royal Opera House (ROH) on securing a £10 million donation from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to establish a permanent Paul Hamlyn Education Fund; notes the tremendous contribution of the Foundation to the ROH and education programmes in the arts since 1986; supports the excellent education work already carried out by the ROH which has enabled thousands of young people to experience opera and ballet; believes that singing in schools leads to good behaviour and educational achievement and therefore commends the decision of the ROH to set up the Voices of the Future initiative to encourage school children to sing; and supports the other initiatives that will be funded from the donation.