§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government if they will state (1) the amounts of the grants from the Exchequer to the British Council in the financial years 1954–55, 1955–56, and 1956–57, respectively; and (2) the amounts of the grants from the Exchequer to the Arts Council in the same financial years.]
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, as the information about Exchequer grants to the British Council and to the Arts Council for which the noble Viscount asks consists of a number of figures, I will, with the permission of the House, circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following are the figures referred to:
| — | 1954–55 | 1955–56 | 1956–57* | |
| British Council | ||||
| Grant-in-Aid | … | 1,675,000 | 1,720,400 | 2,187,650 |
| Repayments of Net Expenditure incurred on behalf of:— | ||||
| (a) Colonial Office | … | 485,009 | 555,497 | 572,037 |
| (b) Colonial Development and Welfare | … | 119,989 | 97,087 | 101,488 |
| (c) Commonwealth Relations Office | … | 328,300 | 375,459 | 391,473 |
| 2,608,298 | 2,748,443 | 3,252,648 | ||
| Arts Council | … | 785,000 | 820,000 | 885,000 |
| *N.B.—The 1956–57 figures are taken from the British Council account, which has not yet been agreed by the Comptroller and Auditor-General. |
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, I wish to thank the noble Lord. I will study the figures when I see them in the OFFICIAL REPORT. May I ask the noble Lord this Question? As there is only a certain amount of money to go round, will Her Majesty's Government consider—and I am only asking them to consider—some pruning of the sum spent by the British Council abroad on drama, music and the visual arts, in order to provide a 25 per cent. increase in the money available to the Arts Council in this country, which would enable the Arts Council to support in adequate fashion the essential needs of the Arts in this country?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, if my memory serves me right, only about 2 per cent. of the total expenditure of the British Council goes on the Arts, and I doubt whether the juxtaposition which the noble Viscount requires would serve his purpose as fully as he thinks.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, might I ask the noble Lord whether Her Majesty's Government would consider that suggestion? And may I further ask him whether it is not of primary importance that the present level of the fine arts in this country should be maintained? Otherwise, in the long run there may be a general lowering of standards all round, both in this country and for export.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I most cordially agree with the noble Viscount, but that does not alter the fact that I think he is slightly confused about the objects of the British Council and the Arts Council.