HC Deb 09 March 1987 vol 112 cc15-6
37. Mr. Gerald Bowden

asked the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on progress in refurbishing national museums and galleries.

Mr. Luce

I attach high priority to maintaining and improving these buildings, and have allocated over £27 million to it in 1987–88. That is over 30 per cent. more in real terms that in 1979–80.

Mr. Bowden

I welcome my right hon. Friend's answer, but may I ask him whether he is obliged to accept the services of the Property Services Agency? The agency does a good job and provides professional expertise in many cases, but occasionally some museums could benefit from competitive tendering for refurbishment.

Mr. Luce

My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to this matter. From 1 April 1988 our museums and galleries will be untied from the PSA and will be able to take whatever action they wish about tendering and will be able to recruit whatever staff they need to enable them to do their job on that basis. This is the right way to proceed and it is right to give more responsibility to the trustees and to the directors.

Mr. Tony Banks

Is the Minister aware of the appalling state of upkeep of many of our great national museums— particularly the Victoria and Albert museum? Since voluntary charges were meant in part to assist in the refurbishment of that museum, what has been the most recent impact on attendance figures of the amount of money that the V and A has been able to produce from those charges? Has it not resulted in a great fall in the number of people attending the museum?

Mr. Luce

I must make it absolutely plain to the hon. Gentleman that, over a number of years, I have made available £27 million to the Victoria and Albert alone to enable it to undertake very important maintenance and refurbishment work. The record shows that the V and A has done a marvellous job under Sir Roy Strong's leadership and that a number of new galleries have been refurbished, including the medieval treasury. It is for the trustees to decide whether voluntary charges are in the interests of the museum. If the net increase in income leads to an improvement in facilities, I am sure that the vast majority of the British people will welcome it.

Mr. Greenway

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that, even where there are charges, voluntary or otherwise, there is always a time during the day when children have access to museums and galleries, and that he is pleased to see that happen?

Mr. Luce

I welcome the fact that a number of museums which charge, including almost every independent museum, give an excellent service to the public and offer a wide range of special services to enable schoolchildren to enter at a discount.

Forward to