37. Miss Wardasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what ballet companies received Arts Council's Grants for the year 1952–53 and what are the amounts involved; what ballet companies applied for Arts Council's subsidies and were refused; and what offers have been made to any ballet company at a. take-over price by the Arts Council.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterDetails of the assistance given to ballet companies in England and Wales are given in the Annual Report of the Arts Council, 1952–53, a copy of which was, I understand, sent to my hon. Friend. The Council's Scottish Committee also gave £200 to the Celtic Ballet. It is not the Council's practice to publish details of applications refused, since this might well cause embarrassment to the applicants; in 1952–53, three applications for assistance one for additional assistance were refused.
The answer to the third part of the Question is, "None."
Miss WardIs my right hon. Friend aware that, in my opinion, there is much too much empire-building in the Arts Council, and that many of the subsidies are not fairly distributed? Would it not now be wise to consider the question of a new arrangement for subsidising the arts?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe very nature of the problem which my hon. Friend 549 has set out in her supplementary question indicates how undesirable it would be for direct allocation of these grants to be undertaken by aGovernment Department. I am sure that the Arts Council will give due weight to her views.
§ Dr. StrossWill the Financial Secretary bear in mind that the general view does not tally with the complaint made by the hon. Lady, and that, by and large, the Arts Council does a very good job in this and other respects?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe work of the Arts Council inevitably exposes it to some degree of criticism, but I am inclined to agree with the hon. Gentleman that it does the work pretty well.