§ 2.40 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money has been provided by means of subsidy for the Arts during the last five years as compared with the five-year period up to 1964.]
§ BARONESSS PHILLIPSMy Lords, I am not quite sure whether I should introduce this with music. Government expenditure on the Arts for the five-year period 1965–66 to 1969–70 amounted to £87.8 million. For the period 1960–61 to 1964–65 the corresponding figure was £40.1 million.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONMy Lords, could my noble friend tell me whether the very satisfactory rate of increase during that period was an annual rate of increase, or was it a more uneven increase?
§ BARONESSS PHILLIPSMy Lords, I happen to have some of these figures. In 1964 it was £10 million and then it rose steadily to £13, £15, £18, £20 and £24 million.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that this Question was inspired purely for my own information?
§ BARONESSS PHILLIPSYes, my Lords, I am aware of that.
LORD FARINGDONMy Lords, would my noble friend not agree with me that this is evidence of the improvement and liberalisation of our education?
§ BARONESSS PHILLIPSYes, my Lords, I am quite certain that whatever your Lordships have to say about some other pieces of activity of this Government you certainly cannot criticise the tremendous expenditure on and increase in enthusiasm which has taken place in the Arts generally.
VISCOUNT BARRINGTONMy Lords, in view of the wide term "the Arts", may I, purely for information, ask whether it includes the art of pornography and the art of electioneering?
§ LORD SOMERSMy Lords, I wonder whether the noble Baroness could give us some idea how these figures compare with the expenditure in the same years in other countries—West Germany, Holland and other Continental countries.
§ BARONESSS PHILLIPSMy Lords, I am sure that the noble Lord will appreciate that that is another question. All I can say is that in the debate we had on the Arts I was able to show that our figures compare very favourably with those of any country in Europe.
§ LORD FRANCIS-WILLIAMSMy Lords, can the noble Baroness give us any assurance that, following up this excellent work for the Arts, when the Labour Government are returned after this Election they will do something equally for the authors?
§ BARONESSS PHILLIPSMy Lords, naturally I cannot commit any future Government, though I assume that the noble Lord will as always, be very assiduous in looking after the interests of the authors and I am sure will put the Question again.