HC Deb 22 November 1999 vol 339 cc334-5
8. Mr. John Heppell (Nottingham, East)

On what date pensioners will be allowed free admittance to national museums and art galleries. [98974]

The Minister for the Arts (Mr. Alan Howarth)

Funds have been made available to permit free access for pensioners, from April 2000, to the currently charging national museums funded by my Department.

Mr. Heppell

I thank the Minister for that response, and, on behalf of the pensioners in my constituency, I thank him for finding the £99 million extra that has made free entrance to museums possible for pensioners, in the same way as it is for children. Has my hon. Friend made an assessment of how many extra children have been attracted to museums as a result of free entrance? Does he expect similar increases among pensioners?

Mr. Howarth

I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that, as we hoped, the project to allow children free entry to national museums and galleries has been a remarkable success. In the past year, the number of children visiting the museums and galleries that have participated in the scheme increased by no less than 22 per cent. I believe that there will be an equivalent beneficial effect when we have free entry for pensioners.

Mr. Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham)

I congratulate the Secretary of State on the robustness of his answer to the right hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon) on the Elgin marbles. Can he reassure me, however, that the Government are equally robust, so that, when he and I are pensioners, we shall be able to visit our best national museum—the British museum—and see the Elgin marbles free of charge? What will he advise the Prime Minister to tell President Clinton, who thinks that he knows better than the trustees of the British museum where the Elgin marbles are best placed?

Mr. Howarth

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made our position absolutely clear just now. We believe that it is proper that the Elgin marbles remain in this country. That is our position and the statutory position, and the position of the trustees of the British museum reinforces it.