English National Opera Company (Hansard, 13 June 1989)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Trumpington)
My Lords, the funding of individual arts organisations is a matter for the Arts Council but my right honourable friend the Minister for the Arts keeps in touch with the chairman and director of English National Opera.

§ Lord Auckland
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that partially satisfactory Answer. However, is she aware that as an opera lover and a one-time chorister I visit the English National Opera as a consumer from time to time? Is she also aware that some 400,000 people attend the English National Opera each year and that it is a British opera company with British singers? Is she further aware of the remarks made by her right honourable friend the Minister for the Arts to Mr. Palumbo, the new chairman of the Arts Council, that the English National Opera is one of the country's artistic flagships? Can the Minister say whether the Government intend to stand by those remarks practically?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I would feel most sorry for any choir which had my voice attached to it. I should like to echo the praise given by my noble friend to the English National Opera, of which I am a devoted admirer. I think that the company provides wonderful entertainment at a very reasonable price. Moreover, it deserves praise from all quarters. However, the Arts Council has to consider varied and competing demands for funds.

§ Baroness Birk
My Lords, is it not the case that during the Committee stage of the Local Government Finance Bill 1988 on an amendment proposed by the noble Lord, Lord Carr—to which I was a co-signatory—the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, on June 13th at col. 128 of Hansard, said: We shall be prepared to consider whether there is some help or encouragement we can give to secure their future"— that is, the opera and the ballet. As a result of those assurances the noble Lord, Lord Carr, withdrew his amendment. Is the Minister aware that the director of the London Boroughs Grant Scheme, once known as the Richmond Scheme, has now written to the English National Opera saying that the organisation is unable to replace any significant shortfall in Westminster grant, which has been running at £1.3 million? Evidently, that can only be replaced by an enormous increase in the community charge. Is that not yet another unhappy result of the abolition of the GLC?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, the answer to the last point made by the noble Baroness is no. In answer to her other remarks, it is for the London boroughs to consider how they can best help the ENO, and efforts continue to persuade the London boroughs so to fund.

§ The Earl of Onslow
My Lords, in view of the fact that my noble friend is answering, has the Ministry of Agriculture now become responsible for opera? Is there going to be a set-aside policy for the ENO?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I answer for the Government at all times.

§ Lord Carr of Hadley
My Lords, I should preface my question by declaring my interest as one of the vice-chairmen of the English National Opera. Are my noble friend and the Government aware that the English National Opera company is not just the concern of the Arts Council, as was said, although it is an important concern of the council. It was also the concern, first, of the Greater London Council and then, most satisfactorily, after the abolition of the GLC, of Westminster City Council. It is the continuing help from Westminster City Council which is almost certainly removed from possibility by the local government Act to which the noble Baroness, Lady Birk, referred. Is my noble friend aware of that need and of the need to have some certainty about what is to happen, because it is in the nature of an opera company that we have to make binding financial commitments several years ahead when engaging conductors, singers and so forth?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I share my noble friend's concern about the possible loss of the Westminster grant. I hope that a solution can be found. The grant is made on behalf of all the London boroughs, as my noble friend is aware. I hope that they will play their part. The Arts Council is engaged in consultations with the London boroughs. The Government are of course aware of the urgency, and, I repeat, I hope that a solution can be found. The ENO's excellent three-year plan was drawn up on the assumption that the level of grant could be maintained. There is no reason to believe that the introduction of the charge will affect local authority funding of the arts.

§ Lord Goodman
My Lords, no doubt the Minister appreciates that the motives behind the question are extremely benevolent and kindly. I am sure that everyone here will be reassured by the emphasis that she places on the Arts Council having the obligation to look after artistic institutions. The best service that the Government can do for the English National Opera and many other artistic institutions is to provide them with enough money to do the job properly. The Minister probably agrees that, although not intended, the question contains the hint of the dreadful prospect that someone thinks that we should have a ministry of culture. She would probably agree that that is the most horrible thing that could happen to the arts.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, as I am speaking on behalf of the Government, I should prefer not to comment on the noble Lord's last question. I must repeat, it is for the Arts Council to determine its funding strategies.

§ Lord Mishcon
My Lords, bearing in mind that the national companies, including the English National Opera company, are very much our country's shop front in the artistic world as a whole, is there not a case for special funding of those national companies, whether through the Arts Council special fund or a government special fund?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I shall pass on the noble Lord's remarks to my right honourable friend. Perhaps I may set out the ENO's financial position. It received £6,917,000 from the Government, via the Arts Council, in 1988–89. The company has also won an incentive funding award of £250,000. The purpose of the incentive funding scheme is to encourage arts organisations to increase their income from private sources. The ENO's income is expected to increase by 41 per cent. over the next three years. It has an excellent artistic reputation and maintains audiences at average levels of 80 per cent. Prices remain low despite increases this season. The ENO's top ticket price is £26.

§ Lord Bonham-Carter
My Lords, is the Minister aware that no matter how well the ENO has done in raising private funds and increasing its audiences, it is, like all artistic institutions, a victim of inflation over which it has no control? With inflation running at 8.5 per cent., and not yet peaked, and with the grant that it receives fixed at only 2 per cent. per annum, it is bound to be in severe difficulties. Does she agree that the only way in which the matter can be dealt with is if the Treasury is prepared to increase the previous indicated level of three-year funding for the arts?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, we recognise the pressures caused by inflation. Inflation affects everyone and not just arts organisations. The Government's priority must be to defeat it. Government expenditure on the arts has increased by 44 per cent. in real terms since 1979–80.