HC Deb 11 February 1954 vol 523 cc1359-60
43. Miss Ward

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what money has been made available to the Arts Council for the acquisition of the assets of ballet companies in 1952–53.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

None, Sir.

Miss Ward

Would I be right in assuming that grants-in-aid are not normally used for the purchase of ballet companies?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

There are exceptions, but normally conditions are not attached to the grant-in-aid.

44. Miss Ward

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total grants in aid since the setting up of the Arts Council made available to individual ballet companies and opera companies.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFICIAL REPORT.

Miss Ward

As the International Ballet Company has now been put off the road, will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that I, at any rate, do not think that grants-in-aid should be used for the creation of monopolies for either ballet or opera?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I will note my hon. Friend's views.

Mr. Snow

As the Treasury reserves the right to examine and generally scrutinise the annual budget of the Arts Council before it allows the Council to get on with expenditure, can some attention be drawn to the mining and other industrial communities, which never seem to get the services of the Arts Council in providing ballet? I am thinking of the small industrial communities.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

That is largely a matter for the Arts Council, on whom falls the main responsibility of allocating grants. I am sure that it will pay due attention to the point of view which the hon. Member has expressed.

Following is the information:

From its incorporation in August, 1946, until the end of the financial year 1952–53 the Arts Council paid out approximately £1,533,700 in grants and guarantees to opera and ballet companies. The details are as follow:

£
Ambassadors Ballet 553
Ballet Rambert 18,114
Carl Rosa 7,500
Celtic Ballet 200
Covent Garden 1,063,000
Cygnet Ballet 785
Dancers from Vienna 621
Delius Trust 1,500
English Opera Group 27,000
Glasgow Grand Opera Society 1,300
Glyndebourne Productions 28,000
Intimate Opera Society 9,443
London Opera Club 1,285
London Opera Society 400
National Operatic & Dramatic Association 25
Opera Studios 4,250
Sadlers Wells 334,750
St. James's Ballet 9,254
Spanish Dancers 2.462
Welsh National Opera Company 16,075
Festival of Britain (Various Productions and Competitions) 7,229

In the case of Covent Garden and Sadlers Wells it is not possible to apportion grants as between opera and ballet.

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