§ 13. Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make it his policy that money from the national lottery will not affect the provision of public funds to sport and the arts.
§ Mr. SproatIt is not intended that the money provided by the lottery should substitute for that provided by the Government in other ways.
§ Mr. CunninghamDoes not the Minister understand that companies such as the Coventry Theatre in Education and the Coventry Belgrade theatre could be in jeopardy because of the series of cuts imposed by the Government 605 in recent years? Will he speak to the West Midlands Arts Council and ensure that the future of those two companies is secured?
§ Mr. SproatI shall certainly draw the hon. Gentleman's comments to the attention of the board he mentioned.
§ Sir Donald ThompsonWill my hon. Friend also remember the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, a body about which none of us has anything but good to say? It has great experience and expertise and has a number of projects in the pipeline. Will he ensure that neither the public purse nor the national lottery do anything but add to the work that the foundation has done so well and should continue to do with a bigger budget?
§ Mr. SproatI certainly agree with my hon. Friend. The Foundation for Sport and the Arts and Mr. Grattan Endicott and his board have done a wonderful job, giving some £40 million to sport and £20 million to the arts. Long may that continue.