§ LORD KENNETMy 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 who is paying for the current exhibition "Art in Revolution" at the Hayward Gallery, and in what circumstances exhibits were withdrawn from it and a room closed.]
§ THE PAYMASTER GENERAL (VISCOUNT ECCLES)My Lords, the costs of this exhibition are being met by the Arts Council who are responsible for all the arrangements. The subject of exhibitions is dealt with in general terms in the Anglo/Soviet Cultural Agreements and the details are a matter for the organisations responsible for the exhibitions. I understand that a small number of exhibits which had been obtained from outside 439 the Soviet Union were withdrawn at the request of the Soviet authorities. Since the exhibition was arranged by the Arts Council in conjunction with the Soviet authorities, I hope that the noble Lord will agree that it was reasonable for the request to be met.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, were the exhibits withdrawn under threat of closure of the entire Soviet part of the exhibition or not?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, so far as I understand it, yes. Experience shows that the Soviet Government carries out scrupulously any agreement it makes, but that if extraneous matter is introduced their agreement is very seldom obtained. In this case the exhibition is a very good exhibition and well worth having as it is.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, would the noble Viscount agree that this must have been an extremely difficult decision for the Arts Council? Did the Arts Council consult him on what they ought to do?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, I was told of the state of affairs and I asked only one question: "Have you got a written agreement that you can include in this exhibition objects not on the Soviet list?" The answer was, "No". That being the case, I felt sure that they were right to go on with it on the terms that the Soviet Government had laid down.
LORD INGLEWOODMy Lords, seeking information and not in any sense of criticism, may I ask my noble friend what, approximately, is the cost of putting on an exhibition of this kind?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, the cost is £38,000. I think that they will now recover more than they had expected, by reason of the publicity.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, at the risk of adding to it the publicity, may I ask the noble Viscount the Paymaster General whether it is not unusual to speak of an exhibition, the cost of which was borne on British public funds, but yet in respect of which the Soviet Government—and I use his own words—laid down terms?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, I should not have thought so. Obviously, the negotiations with a foreign Government for sending to this country material 440 which belongs to them are difficult and if they wish to define the list of objects for the exhibition we must either accept it or not.
§ LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, may I ask the Government whether the Arts Council gave the Soviet Government any idea that they were planning to include other material from Western sources in this exhibition when the original arrangements were made?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, I am sorry, but I cannot answer that supplementary question without notice.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, may I ask one further supplementary question? May I inquire from the noble Viscount the Paymaster General whether the Soviet Government gave the Arts Council any idea that they were not going to bring the list of exhibits which was verbally agreed between them, but another one?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, I understand that there were a certain number of objects which were on their list, but when the packing cases were opened they were not there; I think that is true.
§ LORD CONESFORDMy Lords, is is proposed to have an exhibition of the objects excluded?
§ VISCOUNT ECCLESMy Lords, speaking for myself, I think it would be very interesting indeed to see the other branch of Soviet art which had developed contemporaneously with what one might call the official art.