§ 2.54 p.m.
§ Baroness Lane-FoxMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will explain the working of the business sponsorship incentive scheme for the arts.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Arts (The Earl of Gowrie)My Lords, the business sponsorship incentive scheme aims to encourage a higher overall level of arts sponsorship by adding one-third, subject to an upper limit of£25,000, to any new sponsorship obtained by arts bodies. The scheme is administered by the Association of Business Sponsorship of the Arts, and I am glad to say that in its first three months I have been able to announce awards worth £294,000 in respect of £1.27 million of new sponsorship.
§ Baroness Lane-FoxMy Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for his very interesting reply, and also congratulate the Government on the refreshing innovation of this scheme. May I ask how many actual awards have been made, and how the scheme is publicised?
The Earl of GowrieMy Lords, I am grateful for the remarks which the noble Baroness has made. I hope that the publicity which is generated by the awards—I myself take every opportunity to get these to the attention of the public, particularly in the regions which have received over half the money—will encourage more businesses to look into the benefit of arts sponsorship. I have not broken down the figures in terms of individual awards; but, as I said, the ratio of three to one is cost-effective in terms of public money spent.
§ Lord Jenkins of PutneyMy Lords, the noble Earl will be aware that ABSA got under way in the period during which I preceded him; therefore I am in support of this proposal and I congratulate him on it. I should like to ask him if he is aware also that business sponsorship can be only a minority support in terms of the general necessity for more generous state sponsorship for the arts? Is he further aware that in the United States there is now a movement away from business sponsorship, which has been found unsatisfactory in a number of respects, and towards state sponsorship for the arts? This is happening in that country as well as here.
The Earl of GowrieMy Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord on his entrepreneurial zeal, which I have been delighted to try to build upon. I was not aware about what he said in respect of the United States, where direct subsidy of the arts is only about 5 per cent. in relation to our figure of 95 per cent. My own view is that business sponsorship is a welcome chance for additional growth into arts funding; but of course the role of the state will remain very important.