§ Mr. Edeasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury which of the museums, art galleries and similar State-aided institutions have been asked to reduce expenditure on staff; by how many persons the staff has been reduced in each case; the total saving secured in each institution; and the extent to which public access to each institution has been restricted by these reductions of staff.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe Estimates for 195–53 show an increase of some 7 per cent. in the expenditure on staff for museums and galleries compared with 1951–52. It is in order to limit these increases that the institutions have been asked to effect, during the course of the current financial year, reductions from the staff in post on the 1st October, 1951, as shown below. The further increased cost which would be incurred were no reductions in staff effected is shown in column 2 of the table.
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— Staff Reduction Nos.* Estimated Saving £ Victoria and Albert Museum 17 6,000 Science Museum 10½ 3,800 British Museum 22 7,800 British Museum, Natural History 14½ 5,200 Imperial War Museum 2½ 900 London Museum 2 700 National Gallery 3 1,100 Tate Gallery 2½ 900 National Maritime Museum ½ 200 National Portrait Gallery 1½ 500 Wallace Collection 2 700 Royal Scottish Museum 3 1,100 National Galleries of Scotland 2 700 National Library of Scotland 1 400 84 30,000 *Part-timers reckoned as a half. In the Public Record Office, of which department the museum forms a small part, a reduction of five staff from that in post on the 1st October, 1951, is expected; were there no reduction, the increased cost would be about £1,600.
The extent to which public access to these institutions has been restricted is stated in the reply given to the hon. Member for North-West Leicester (Mr. Janner) on 13th May. It is left to the authorities concerned to decide in what catagories of staff the reductions shall be made, and whether to restrict public access.