§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) pursuant to his reply of 4 December to the hon. 67W Member for Wolver Hampton, North-East, if he will list the amount of grant-aid the Royal Shakespeare Company received from the Arts Council in the financial year 1979–80 to support its central activities and excluding all supplementary grants; how this compares with the amounts it has received for its central activities in each year since 1974; and if he will list the percentage increase in the central grant each year from 1974;
(2) what was the grant-aid which the Royal Shakespeare Company received from the Arts Council in the financial year 1979–80 to support its central activities, excluding all supplementary grants; and what was the grant for 1978–79 to enable the Royal Shakespeare Company to discharge its obligations in Stratford and London.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasThe amount of grant received to date in 1979–80 is confidential between the Arts Council and the company. The basic revenue subsidy offered for the company's main operation in Stratford and London in 1979–80 is£1.8 million. The corresponding subsidies offered at the beginning of previous years and the percentage increases are:
£ Percentage increase over previous year 1974–75 … 450,000 — 1975–76 … 680,000 51 1976–77 … 900,000 32 1977–78 … 1,300,000 44 1978–79 … 1,600,000 23 All these offers were subsequently supplemented.