§ 38. Mr. Wareingasked the Minister for the Arts when he expects arts organisations in the metropolitan counties to learn of their grant allocations from the Arts Council for the financial year beginning 1 April 1986.
§ 40. Mr. Fisherasked the Minister for the Arts when arts organisations, presently receiving grants from metropolitan counties, will be informed of their funding allocations from public sources for the financial year 1986–87.
§ Mr. LuceArts Council clients not affected by the abolition of the metropolitan counties have been informed of their allocations for 1986–87; the Arts Council will publish the figures this week. Those affected by abolition are being given interim assurances that their Arts Council funding will be no less than in the current year. Their final figures will depend upon the outcome of negotiations with2W the local authorities concerned. These are in progress. There are considerable anxieties over the unwillingness of Liverpool to accept a reasonable share of the responsibility. In all other cases in metropolitan areas, negotiations are going well. I understand that announcements can be expected in most cases over the next few weeks, and that it will then be seen that most local authorities have made a major contribution.