Area Museums Councils

HC Deb 25 January 1988 vol 126 cc12-3

34. Mr. Fisher

To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the level of funding in 1988–89 for the area museums councils.

The Minister for the Arts (Mr. Richard Luce)

The grants to the English area museums councils are administered by the Museums and Galleries Commission. It is for the commission to decide the level of grants from within its grant-in-aid. I understand that the increase in the basic grant to the councils in 1988–89 is some 4 per cent.

Mr. Fisher

Does the Minister accept that although long-term underfunding of area museums councils has been a serious threat to them, there is an even greater threat to them in clause 28 of the Local Government Bill, which is now being considered in another place? That clause would prevent local authorities from "promoting homosexuality" and could mean that local authority museums and galleries could not, for instance, put on, promote, advertise and catalogue pictures by David Hockney? Does the Minister approve of that form of censorship and that threat? Will he say categorically that the clause is a threat to area museums councils and local authority museums?

Mr. Luce

First, I do not accept the hon. Gentleman's suggestion that the area museums councils are underfunded. The money that goes to local museums and galleries, including through the rate support grant, amounts to a total of £72 million. That is a substantial sum of money.

I am not clear as to how the hon. Gentleman's second question relates to his first question. Clause 28 is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. Like my colleagues, I support the intention of the clause, but I recognise that it is causing anxiety in the arts world. I have been advised that local authorities seeking simply to provide the public with access to a comprehensive range of artistic and literary material would not be put at risk by that provision.

Mr. Harry Greenway

Will my right hon. Friend comment on the amount of money raised through voluntary funding by the Victoria and Albert museum? It is remarkable that that museum, through its own efforts, and separately from public funding, has raised so much money and made such good use of it.

Mr. Luce

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. The more money that is raised by joint funding by the public and private sector, the better. There are many examples around the country of museums that have been very successful in raising more resources from the private sector in addition to the state funding that they receive.