HL Deb 07 December 1998 vol 595 cc67-8WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Serpentine Gallery pays an economic rent to the Royal Parks Agency; and what it is. [HL12]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. David Welch. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter to Lord Kennet from the Head of Policy of the Royal Parks Agency, Ms Viviane Robertson.

In the absence of the Chief Executive of the Royal Parks Agency, Mr. David Welch, I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your parliamentary Question about the rent paid to the Royal Parks Agency by the Serpentine Gallery, as this is an operational matter for which the agency is responsible.

The Gallery does not pay an economic rent. The Gallery's previous licence came to an end in 1994. Following discussions between the Royal Parks Agency, the Serpentine Gallery and the then Department of National Heritage, the Gallery was granted a further 15-year licence. After completion of the Gallery's refurbishment in 1997 the fee for the licence was set at £10,000 per annum, adjusted annually in line with the Retail Price Index.