I note the Midlothian Council document says one measure is to remove the delivery of instrumental music offer to all and only provide this for SQA pupils for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher music and that this is estimated to require three full-time equivalent music instructors and would reduce the remaining complement by approximately eight.

It further states that if the number of young people taking music instruction reduced even further parents would have to pay more to meet the full cost of providing this service.

READ MORE: Anger over Midlothian Council plan to ‘privatise school music’

In other words, this means the council is going to provide instrumental lessons only for those from well-off families. This is an absolute disgrace.

I conducted an event at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall this week with Nicola Benedetti and over 1,000 musicians from state schools. It was a triumph and a moving sign of what could continue to be the jewel in the crown of Scottish education.

Why would the political class allow poorer children to miss out on such a vital ingredient of their education? It’s as if their sanctimonious mantras about inclusion, access and diversity get thrown out of the window as soon as they are asked to do something about it.

READ MORE: 100,000 Scottish pupils missing out on school music tuition

A large number of those children, especially from low-income families, receive free instrumental tuition.

At a time when Scotland’s government has increased spending on education it seems perverse to cut back on such an important subject. Might it be time for the Scottish Government to take control of music education before it’s too late?

Sir James MacMillan is a Scottish classical composer and conductor