§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many entrance tickets for the national museums and galleries were printed approximately one year ago in anticipation of the introduction of admission charges; and whether these tickets will still be useable after the introduction of value added tax.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasSome 30 million tickets were printed. They will be useable after the introduction of value added tax.
§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why the Paymaster-General intimated to the Trustees of the Wallace Collection that if they maintained their decision to admit the public free one day a week without compensatory increases on other days, they ran the risk of a reduction in the funds made available to them for running expenses in order to offset the putative loss to the Exchequer.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasMy noble Friend considers that discussions with the Trustees of a museum should remain, as they have been, confidential. But it is 235W clear that if one museum is unwilling to bear its share of the sum aimed at from the introduction of charges, because the Trustees offer a free day, the money lost must be recovered in other ways, if other museums are not to be put at a disadvantage.