HC Deb 11 December 2000 vol 359 cc35-6W
26. Helen Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to encourage families to visit major national museums. [141899]

Mr. Chris Smith

Our policy is to encourage all museums to offer the widest possible access to their collections. We have enabled those national museums funded by my Department which already offer free admission to continue to offer it, and we have scrapped entry charges for children and the over-60s at those that charge. We have also funded them to enable their trustees to introduce a standard admission charge of £1 for adults from September 2001, and to allow free admission to all people who are in receipt of the major benefits, including people with disabilities.