HC Deb 24 January 1963 vol 670 cc266-7
23. Dame Irene Ward

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the appointment of a successor to the present Secretary-General of the Arts Council.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

The Arts Council is, I understand, announcing today that, with the approval of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it has appointed Mr. N. J. Abercrombie to be Secretary-General of the Arts Council from 1st April next.

Dame Irene Ward

Whilst welcoming my right hon. Friend's statement, may I ask him if when the new appointment takes place he will kindly convey to the Chairman of the Arts Council that, as the Council is subsidised by the taxpayer and by Parliament, any statement emanating from the Council commenting on policy and any statement on matters affecting the Arts Council should be made by the Chairman of the Arts Council? Will my right hon. Friend also kindly convey at any rate my disapproval of the fact that when a suggestion was made of perhaps transferring the Arts Council from the Treasury to a Ministry the language used by the Secretary-General on this did not measure up to the kind of language that we expect from somebody who is paid by Parliament?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I will see that my hon. Friend's views are conveyed to the noble Lord the Chairman of the Arts Council.