§ Lord Jenkins of Putneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have read the Arts Council's prospectus and will increase its grant as requested.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)The Government have already stated their commitment to maintaining the level of arts support, and have promised £34 million of additional central funding in 1986–87 to compensate for the abolition of the GLC and metropolitan country councils. My honourable friend the Minister for the Arts has also read the Arts Council's recent prospectus and will take all the arguments into account in determining the Council's share of the overall arts programme.