§ Mrs. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the effects of Government policies on the position of the symphony orchestras in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Miss Jennie LeeAssistance to the Scottish National Orchestra is a matter for the Scottish Arts Council, which will be making a grant of £115,000 to the orchestra this year. Responsibility for the B.B.C. Scottish Symphony Orchestra rests with the B.B.C. and I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made in the House of Commons on 16th October by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Posts and Telecommunications. The Scottish Arts Council is however at present engaged in preliminary discussions with the B.B.C. on the future role of this orchestra.
The Committee of Inquiry into Orchestral Demands and Resources in Scotland, set up by the Scottish Arts Council, has not yet published its report. —[Vol. 788, c. 575–8.]