§ 22. Mr. van Straubenzeeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what criteria he employs in allocating Government assistance to the arts between the different art forms which seek support.
§ Mr. ChannonMy responsibilities include making allocations to the national museums and galleries and the British Library and also to the various organisations that support the different forms of the living arts, the Arts Council, the Crafts Council and the British Film Institute. All these bodies submit annual budgets which are discussed on the basis of their needs. In case of the latter group of bodies, it is its responsibility to consider its own grants to individual claimants.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeIf my right hon. Friend, in the course of policy development, decides to make a change in some of those allocations, will he bear in mind that many activities require much planning in advance and that abrupt changes would be unhelpful? I appreciate that my right hon. Friend has no responsibility for the individual allocations of the Arts Council. Is there not possibly a lesson that could be learnt, not about decisions but about the abruptness with which decisions are implemented?
§ Mr. ChannonYes, I think that my hon. Friend has a good point. The chairman of the Arts Council, when he wrote to me recently, said that there may have been cases where the policy of informing people in advance had not been adequately implemented and that he would ensure that it did not recur.
§ Mr. CormackMay I reinforce the point that has been made? Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Royal Shakespeare Company is experiencing great difficulty because it cannot plan more than a year ahead? It is impossible for our great national companies to operate successfully unless they cart plan ahead for a longer period than that.
§ Mr. ChannonI take note of what my hon. Friend says. There are a great many difficulties. The extent of the grant is not known until a quite late date. I shall consider the valid point that has been made.