§ 3.8 p.m.
§ LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
[The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will grant entry privileges, where appropriate, to members of societies such as the National Art Collections Fund, the Friends of the Tate Gallery and the British Museum Society, when entrance charges are levied at national museums and galleries.]
§ THE PAYMASTER GENERAL (VISCOUNT ECCLES)My Lords, I have told the National Art Collections Fund and the Contemporary Arts Society that, provided their minimum subscription is £3 a year, their members will be admitted free to all the national museums on production of a signed and recognisable membership card. Where there is a bona fide society of friends of a national museum and the minimum subscription is £2 a year, the members will be admitted free to the museum or gallery in question on production of a signed and recognisable membership ticket.
§ LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, I should like to thank the noble Viscount the Paymaster General for that reply, which I am sure will give great satisfaction to all those who care about these things.
§ BARONESS LEE OF ASHERIDGEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Viscount, 1052 since he has indicated that it is possible to modify the regulations where it is considered that a just case has been made, whether he would do the same sort of thing for crippled, spastic and disabled children and for those in the community who are not able to pay £3 to belong to an extremely valuable arts society?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, in reply to the noble Baroness, we have looked at a large number of requests to make special exemptions. It seems that if we are to keep the basic admission at 10p we really cannot go much further in the exemption field.
§ LORD SEGALMy Lords, would not the noble Viscount agree that the members of these societies are perhaps the best able to afford the charges for admission?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, I hope that the result of this concession will be that the subscriptions to the societies will be very much increased, and therefore will greatly benefit the museums. That is really the purpose of the concession.
§ LORD REIGATEMy Lords, may I congratulate my noble friend on what he has said to-day, and ask him whether he will now use his best efforts to obtain the same privilege of free entry to those many museums which already charge for entry, including, for example, the Bowes Museum, run by the Socialist Durham County Council?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, all museums other than the 18 national museums are either the responsibility of local authorities or of private trusts, and they can make what arrangements they think fit.
§ LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
[The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will grant free entry to artists holding the membership card of the International Association of Art, which is under the auspices of UNESCO, when entrance charges are levied at national museums and galleries.]
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, I am looking into the suggestion made by the noble Lord. When I have received advice on this very complex matter, I 1053 will write to him. The arrangements under which scholars will be admitted free of charge will include many holders of documents issued under the sponsorship of international bodies.
§ LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, I thank the noble Viscount the Paymaster General for that reply. In considering this suggestion, may I ask him whether he was aware that this concession is granted by many museums in other countries which are associated with UNESCO? Will he bear in mind that it might be embarrassing if the United Kingdom were not equally reciprocal; and also that this concession is most important from the membership point of view?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, I have looked at the list of museums abroad which grant this concession, and it is only a very partial list. I think I must find out the conditions on which membership can be taken up in this international society.
§ BARONESS LEE OF ASHERIDGEMy Lords, may I assume that it is the wish of the Paymaster General to ease circumstances for anyone who finds it a real hardship to pay to get into museums and galleries? If so, is he aware that more than 90 per cent. of your Lordships' House is entitled to enter at half price?—and I think we should agree that less than 9 per cent. really have need of this concession. Would the noble Viscount look at the priorities, and if there are to be concessions, try and give them where they are needed?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, I will certainly study what the noble Baroness has said.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, is it not time that the noble Viscount considered devoting his great qualities to something more useful than trying to find exemptions to a most undesirable policy?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, I have some sympathy with the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition in what I imagine is his view, that I have had to spend a great deal of time on this matter. But I think this is a constructive move and will benefit museums before long.
§ LORD WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, would the noble Viscount be prepared to extend his activities and make the exemptions still wider?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, I have already said that our basic charge of 10p is very low in comparison with museum charges anywhere in Europe, and we wish to stick to it if we can.
§ LORD WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, does the noble Viscount think it is worth making?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESYes, my Lords.