HC Deb 27 October 1986 vol 103 cc14-6
30. Mr. Key

asked the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on the pattern of development of independent museums.

The Minister for the Arts (Mr. Richard Luce)

There are now as many as 1,200 independent museums, many of which have been established in the past 15 years. I have been struck by their strong sense of enterprise in marketing and management.

Mr. Key

Will my right hon. Friend join me in saluting the independent museums, the number of which has doubled in the past 15 years? Will he especially congratulate them on their energy and enthusiasm in giving a lead to the public sector? Does he agree that most of those museums charge and that the public are willing to pay for the excellence that they provide?

Mr. Luce

I join my hon. Friend in welcoming the fact that, in the past 15 years, the number of museums has doubled and that the new independent museums—many of which I have been able to visit—act as a spur to a better service for the public. As for his second question, it is true that that vast bulk of the indepedent musuems impose a charge. That appears to be something that is welcomed by the public, since they enter those museums and the charges enable museums to provide a better service.

Mr. Speaker

Mr. Norman Buchan — and a happy birthday.

Mr. Buchan

I have reached the time of life when I much prefer to ignore birthdays, Mr. Speaker. On the question of paying to enter independent museums, does the Minister recognise that there is a crucial difference between them and our public institutions? Will he join me in deploring the fact that the consequence of the Victoria and Albert museum introducing voluntary charges, and the predicted charge to enter the natural history museum, is a 40 per cent. collapse in attendance? How can he say that this benefits the British people when we are nearly halving attendances? How can he claim that the public support such a policy when they are staying away in droves?

Mr. Luce

I had hoped that, on his birthday, on which I also congratulate the hon. Member, he would have asked a slightly more cheerful question. It has always been entirely up to the chairmen and trustees of museums to decide whether raising charges, either voluntarily or through a straight admission charge, is in the interests of improving the service provided by museums. If they believe that in the longer term, it will improve the service and encourage more of the public to come in, it is right that they should do so. The choice is theirs and should be left in their hands.

Mr. Greenway

Does my hon. Friend agree that, within the voluntary charges policy of the Natural History museum and of the Victoria and Albert museum, specific periods are set aside, so people will always be able to get in free of charge? Children's parties, elderly people and other special categories will always be able to go in free. Does he agree that that policy is absolutely right and must continue at all times?

Mr. Luce

I agree with my hon. Friend. When trustees introduce charges, they should seriously consider adequate exemptions, as happens at the National Maritime museum. The system seems to work perfectly well there. I find it strange that one can go to almost any country in the world, whether this side or the other side of the Iron Curtain, and find that charges are imposed on visitors to museums. Why do Opposition Members have such an incredible hang-up about this?

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