§ Mr. Dudley Williamsasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will make a statement about the recently completed Report of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries on their survey of provincial museums.
§ Mr. du CannYes. The Report is to be published tomorrow. Her Majesty's Government are most grateful to Lord Rosse and his colleagues on the Standing Commission for undertaking this invaluable survey.
The Report makes a considerable number of recommendations covering a wide field. It is our intention to consult the various other authorities and interests concerned about those recommendations which directly affect Her Majesty's Government. In these consultations we shall continue to bear in mind the principle, which was the basis on which the survey was undertaken at the invitation of Lord Amory when Chancellor of the Exchequer, that the upkeep of local museums and galleries in terms of normal capital and revenue expenditure is and should remain the responsibility of local bodies.
Meanwhile we have felt able, in advance of detailed consideration of the 37W Report as a whole, to accept in principle, subject to the approval of Parliament, the Standing Commission's recommendation that the Exchequer should give financial assistance, not exceeding the amount subscribed locally, towards the initial and continuing expense of schemes for mutual help and co-operation between museums in the same area in matters such as conservation. Provision of £10,000 for this purpose has been made in the Estimate for Grants to the Arts for 1963–64. The manner in which this money can be made available and the precise purposes to which it should be put will be the subject of consultation with those concerned.