Lord CHELWOODasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the total staff employed in the Trustee National Museums and Galleries; what is the annual wage bill; and what reductions are contemplated, at what annual saving.
196WAavailable on the expenditure by the Department of Energy, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and the nationalised fuel industries for which the Department of Energy is responsible is as follows:—
The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION and SCIENCE(Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge): On 1st April 1976, 2,071 staff were employed in the National Trustee Museums and Galleries. The wage bill for 1975–76 was £7–8 million and that for 1976–77 is estimated to be about £8.9 million. Under the conditions of grant introduced in April 1975, which now apply to all but the smallest of these institutions (the Wallace Collection), the Trustees have responsibility for the management of their resources within a single sub-head covering funds for salaries and general expenses and take their own decisions on the numbers of staff who can be accommodated. I cannot yet say what grants will be made next year, but all institutions will have to contribute to the general reduction of public expenditure.