Sponsorship (Hansard, 18 July 1983)

§ 23. Mr. Murphy
asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the arts what steps are planned to promote arts sponsorship by companies and individuals.

§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. William Waldegrave)
My noble Friend, the Minister for the Arts, intends to take every suitable opportunity to promote the sponsorship campaign.

§ Mr. Murphy
Is our noble Friend considering sponsorship as a means of funding the proposed Theatre museum?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
My noble Friend will not rule out any such suggestion if it is made.

§ Mr. St. John-Stevas
Does the Minister accept that any additional funding from private sources for the Theatre museum must be supplementary to the promises made by the Government? Is the Minister aware that the GLC is considering modifying the terms of its contract for the sale of the site at Covent Garden so that it will cost the Government a mere £250,000? In view of that, will the Minister undertake, on behalf of the Minister for the Arts, that the contract will be signed straight away, as we were promised at our delegation the other day?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
I must make some matters clear. My noble Friend's position is that he has had to review his budget in view of the request for savings by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. There is no question, as things stand, of his committing money from this year's arts budget to a start on the Theatre museum.

§ Mr. St. John-Stevas
Oh!

§ Mr. Waldegrave
If the situation were to change in a number of respects — one can imagine a number of respects in which it might change — obviously the decision will be reviewed.

§ Mr. Dalyell
On the question of companies, will the Minister examine the metal detecting business? Were he and his Department as concerned as some of us at the lead letter in The Times on Saturday about the Hambledon iron age harness which was sold at Sotheby's for about £59,000? Does that not raise serious questions for the export review body and raise the whole—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The question is about plans to promote sponsorship of the arts.

§ Mr. Dalyell
I thought that the question related to companies and their sponsorship. What are the Government going to do about Henry Cleere's complaints?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
I welcome the opportunity to draw that important matter to the attention of my noble Friend the Minister for the Arts. I shall also draw the matter to the attention of other Ministers in my Department, because it is relevant to them.