Arts Council (Hansard, 4 June 1984)

§ 19. Mr. Dormand
asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts when he next proposes to meet the chairman of the Arts Council to discuss the council's development strategy document.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. William Waldegrave)
My noble Friend expects to meet the chairman of the Arts Council within the next month to discuss issues of current concern.

§ Mr. Dormand
Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the slight move towards greater help for the regions is more of a sop than a fundamental change, which is necessary in a development strategy? Is there not, for example, an obvious need for much greater assistance to the arts in an economically deprived area such as the northern region? What is the Minister doing to convince the Arts Council that there is a need for a much greater transfer of emphasis towards helping the arts in the regions rather than concentrating so much on London?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
I certainly agree with the hon. Gentleman that this is not the end of the story. However, the Arts Council document, for the first time, sets out the beginning of a serious strategy, and it is to be welcomed in that respect. My noble Friend strongly supports that intention, which is made clear in the Arts Council document.

§ Mr. Higgins
Is my hon. Friend aware that the proposed reallocation of grants will have a serious effect on the Connaught theatre in Worthing? The Arts Council decision seems to have been taken without regard to the recent increasing success of the theatre. Will my hon. Friend ask the chairman to have a word with the secretary, who apparently has set a tight deadline on the submission of any new data that might be relevant?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
Such decisions must remain with the Arts Council. It is clearly implicit in its strategy that if there is to be money to re-allocate to new functions, some of the existing beneficiaries must lose funds. However, I shall report what my right hon. Friend has said.

§ Mr. Freud
When the noble Lord next meets the chairman of the Arts Council, what representations will he make to ensure the well-being of the Arnolfini gallery in the Under-Secretary's own constituency?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
As I have already said to my right hon. Friend the Member for Worthing (Mr. Higgins), these must be matters for the Arts Council. I have no doubt that attention will have been drawn to the position of the Arnolfini gallery by local representatives and others.

§ Sir David Price
Does my hon. Friend agree that the new strategy of the Arts Council is greatly to be welcomed by the House as a serious effort to create a fairer balance between London and the provinces? Does he also agree that the Arts Council seems at last to have received the message that artistic genius does not lie exclusively in the capital?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
I know that my noble Friend welcomes the document, not only from that point of view, but because it tackles the even more difficult problem that if there is to be money to spread to new beneficiaries, we must face the difficult question of cutting funds to some of the existing ones.

§ Mr. D. E. Thomas
When the Minister's noble Friend meets the chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain, will he urge him to consult the chairman of the Arts Council in Wales so that in any re-allocation of funds in the planning review the Arts Council in Wales can ensure that funding is spread throughout Wales, especially in relation to drama? Will he also ensure that there will be no changes in funding without full consultation with existing claimants?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
I shall certainly bring the hon. Gentleman's remarks to the attention of the relevant bodies.

§ Mr. McCrindle
Any move to increase Arts Council grants to areas outside London is welcome, but does my hon. Friend accept that if the result is that certain artistic bodies in London and the home counties find it impossible to continue in existence some of us will be inclined to question whether the strategy is absolutely right at this time?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
The Arts Council has to make some unenviable decisions, but I cannot see anything inherently wrong in the process of examining certain areas in which incomes are among the highest in Europe to see whether more support could be provided by the local communities so that some assistance can be shifted to other regions.

§ Mr. Beith
Is the Minister aware that the scheme may threaten groups such as Opera 80 and the National Federation of Music Societies, which have done much to bring professional music to small communities, such as those in Northumberland?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
As the hon. Gentleman well knows, I shall have to ask him to address his comments to the Arts Council, but I remind him that it is considering funding some new and rather exciting companies in the same type of activity.

§ Mr. Powley
Is my hon. Friend aware of the concern in Norfolk that the strategy outlined in the Arts Council document could result in counties such as Norfolk, which are somewhat out on a limb, not attracting orchestras and my constituents thus not being able to enjoy the concerts which they deserve to hear?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
A major recommendation in the document is that more resources should be shifted to my hon. Friend's area. In particular, it is suggested that one of the London orchestras might like to move to an eastern city, which would help to meet my hon. Friend's concern.

Mr. Jim Callaghan
Does the Minister agree with the statement of his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in her first year of office that there would be no candle-end economies in the arts? If so, how does he square that with the so-called strategy produced by the Arts Council in its booklet, "The Glory of the Garden", which proposes to transfer grants from London to the regions, which will merely rob Peter to pay Paul and set London against the regions and vice versa? Does he agree that the real answer is to give more money to the Arts Council so that it can do its job more efficiently?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
The Labour party's solution is always to give more money to everyone, because that avoids the need to make any decisions about anything. The chairman of the Arts Council and his colleagues have done something braver, more responsible and more interesting in trying to re-allocate the money made available to them.

§ Mr. Murphy
Will my hon. Friend ask his noble Friend to emphasise to the chairman of the Arts Council the support of hon. Members from East Anglia for the redistribution of available resources towards that region, which, as I believe everyone would agree, has been to some extent underfunded?

§ Mr. Waldegrave
I am grateful for my hon. Friend's comments. I know that he has considerable knowledge in these matters. I shall certainly report what he has said.