§ Mr. Markhamasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the gross provision made for national museums and art galleries and similar institutions under Government control for 1937; what extra sum might fairly be apportioned to such institutions for work carried out by other Departments; and what amounts are spent directly or indirectly from Government funds on provincial museums?
§ Lieut.-Colonel ColvilleThe provision, including that for allied services, made for National Museums and Art Galleries in the Estimates for the current year is £954,543. In addition to that sum, amounts approximating in total to £100,000 included in the Estimate for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and in the statements of allied services appended to the Estimates for992W that Department, the Board of Education, and Public Education, Scotland, might fairly be apportioned to the museums covered by those Estimates.
Generally speaking, direct financial assistance is not granted to museums and galleries maintained by local authorities and other public or private bodies. The assistance rendered by the national institutions to provincial museums and galleries is mainly by way of advice, collaboration and loans of objects for exhibition. It is not practicable to calculate the cost of these services, which is, however, substantial.