§ 31. Mr. Jannerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the only exclusively live theatre in Leicester is about to close; and whether he will ask the Arts Council of Great Britain to take steps to re-establish a theatre in that city of 290,000 inhabitants.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftIt has been the policy of successive Governments to leave to the Arts Council all decisions on the spending of the grant which Parliament makes to them.
§ Mr. JannerIs the Chancellor aware that the closing of this particular theatre, which has been in existence for about 120 years, is a serious blow to theatre-loving people in Leicester, and would he consider making an additional grant to the Arts Council to enable it to deal with this particular situation?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI have already made some contribution to the living theatre by the abolition of Entertainments Duty. So far as the Arts Council is concerned, I think I must leave it to make its own decisions.
§ Dame Irene WardIs not the time coming when my right hon. Friend will be well advised to appoint either a Royal Commission or a Select Committee so that we can have a little more certainty about What we are doing in the whole field of art; and is not the proposal made by the hon. Member for Leicester, North-West (Mr. Janner) just one of the points which are so difficult for the Arts Council and the general public to understand?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI think that that goes rather wider than the original Question—
§ Dame Irene WardIt was meant to.
§ Mr. Thorneycroft—but I certainly think that the Arts Council is probably a better judge than the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the desire of the public in Leicester to attend the theatre.