§ Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to ensure that the arts in Scotland are not discriminated against in any future financial cutbacks.
§ Mr. William RossThere has certainly not been any discrimination against the arts in Scotland in the past, nor will there be in the future. As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science pointed out in his answer on 2nd December to the hon. Member for Moray and Nairn (Mrs. Ewing)—[Vol. 882, c.370.]—the expenditure on the arts in Scotland authorised by the Scottish Arts Council over the period 1964–74 increased by 838 per cent. compared with 434 per cent. for Great Britain as a whole. The future level of support for the arts will be carefully considered together with that for other activities and services in the light of decisions on the level of public expenditure generally.