National Museums and Galleries: Free Admission (Hansard, 17 December 1998)

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, the Government remain firmly committed to broadening access to museums and galleries. The Secretary of State announced on Monday that funds had been allocated to allow trustees of those national museums in England who now charge for entry to introduce free admission for children in 1999–2000 and for pensioners in 2000–2001. That reflects our expectation that the trustees will endorse these first two stages. Funds have also been set aside to take the access programme further in 2001 and discussions will take place in that regard between my department and the museums next year. Decisions in relation to admission charges remain with the trustees of individual museums.

§ The Earl of Clancarty
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that helpful reply. However, does he acknowledge that there is some confusion in relation to the amount of funding national museums believe they require for universal free entry and what the Government propose is required? If so, how do the Government propose to resolve that discrepancy? If the Government have their figures wrong, will they be prepared to top them up to ensure that national museums will be free for all in the year 2001, as the Government pledged?

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, the noble Earl makes clear why my Answer was a cautious one. I cannot say that whatever the museums claim is the cost of free entry will be paid over. As I said, we are in negotiations with the museums. They presented their figures in different ways and on different bases and those must he sorted out. One of the reasons it is not possible to make an announcement now in regard to free entry in 2001 is the difficulty of producing costs and agreeing a comparable basis.

Lord Renton
My Lords, although school parties have increasingly visited museums in recent years, will the Government do their best to ensure that the 1458 increasing opportunities for them to do so are brought to the notice of the schools so that the fullest possible use is made of them?

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, that is a valid point. It is only fair to say that many museums and galleries, even though they charge entry, give special favourable terms to school parties. That is why, as the noble Lord rightly says, they are so popular. However, I am sure that we can continue to give better publicity to the free entry for children which will be available from 1st April next year.

§ Lord Strabolgi
My Lords, can my noble friend say when the new Code of Practice on Access to Museums and Galleries, which was issued for consultation last year, is likely to be published? That is relevant to the Question of the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty.

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, it is relevant but I am afraid that the preparation of finalisation of the code of practice has been given second place by the need to progress the free access proposals. A new code of practice which will cover all publicly funded museums and galleries will be published next year.

§ Lord Montagu of Beaulieu
My Lords, have the VAT implications in this matter been worked out? Does the Minister agree that directors and trustees, rather than subsidise millions of overseas visitors, who are not British taxpayers, with free admission, would rather have the money to enhance and improve their collections?

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, the noble Lord reinforces my point as to the independence of trustees. It must be their decision in the end. We are in constant communication with Customs and Excise in relation to the VAT issue. There are no VAT implications for providing free access to children or pensioners. The present situation is that, even if free access is provided for everybody, VAT will only be charged on one-third or half of the business of the different museums and galleries, though it will be different according to their business situation. However, we are still in negotiation on that point.

§ Baroness Anelay of St. Johns
My Lords, does the Minister recall telling this House in a debate exactly one year ago today that government policy was not to force any specific model of charging or not charging and that the Government would not be doing so at the end of the review? How does that statement fit in with the statement one year later that the Government are pressing museums to adopt a non-charging policy.

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, I did not say that we were pressurising museums and galleries to adopt a non-charging policy. I said that we have provided the funds for the first two years to allow children and pensioners free entry into galleries. Our expectation is that the trustees, at their normal meetings, 1459 will wish to take up that offer—they will not get the money if they do not—and we shall continue to be in negotiation with them in relation to the plans for 2001. We want to provide as wide access as we can but we recognise that we do not have the authority to do so. We are not pressurising trustees to do it either.

§ Lord Monkswell
My Lords, bearing in mind that the incoming tourist trade is a major asset to the United Kingdom economy and that the policy of universal free admission to museums and galleries could be a major selling point, what plans do the Government have for publicising those benefits over the next two years, particularly in the European Union and around the world, to encourage the tourist trade?

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, that is the responsibility of the British Tourist Authority. I am sure that it will take every opportunity to publicise the greater level of free access that will become available.

The Earl of Effingham
My Lords, as the Palace of Westminster is a national institution as I understand it, and not a museum, can the Minister say whether it will be open to the public? Will entry be free or will a charge be made?

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, the Palace of Westminster is an unoccupied Royal Palace—in other words, not occupied by the Royal Family. Therefore, it does not come within any of the categories considered in this Question. However, discussions have taken place about how to achieve greater public access to a building which some people consider to be an architectural marvel.