§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts, pursuant to his reply of 23 January 1984, Official Report, column 419, if he is now in a position to make a statement on the future funding of the Riverside Studios, in the event of the Greater London council being abolished.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[pursuant to his reply, 29 April 1985, c. 58]: The hon. Member is aware that my right hon. and 139W noble Friend, the Minister for the Arts, has announced that, of the total of £34 million of additional central arts funding he will make available on 1 April 1986, £16 million will go to the Arts Council for the support of those major performing arts bodies affected by abolition of the GLC and the metropolitan county councils. It is for the Arts Council to decide on the distribution of that money and, in London, the Riverside Studios will need to establish its case for a share along with other major companies. Like all arts bodies, Riverside will need to continue to seek other funding, from private sources and local authorities, as well as from their box office returns and economies in day to day operations.