§ Lord PONSONBY of SHULBREDEasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made with the series of leisure experiments set up in 1973 in Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Dumbarton and part of Clwyd with particular reference to the arts.
§ Lord DONALDSON of KINGS-BRIDGEThe report of a central steering group of officials entitledLeisure and the Quality of Life was published on 27th September by HMSO. Volume 1 describes and evaluates the experiments which were jointly sponsored by my Department, the Department of the Environment, the Scottish Education Department and the Welsh Office in association with the Arts Council of Great Britain (including the Scottish and Welsh Arts Councils) and the Sports Councils. Volume 2 contains detailed supporting papers. Copies of both volumes have been placed in the Library. The experiments themselves were carried out by local groups, set up by the local authorities in partnership with local and regional arts and sports organisations and actively involving many voluntary organisations and individuals from the communities concerned.
At my invitation the Arts Council have agreed to consider with the Regional Arts Associations the implications of the report for the support of the arts. The Council have also, encouraged the Associations to take part in the regional conferences on sport and recreation which my right honourable friend the Minister 1607WA for Sport is arranging and which will cover the findings of the report as well as other matters. The experiments led to the mounting of a wide variety of arts projects in the four areas concerned, ranging from the encouragement of community drama activities and various mobile facilities in the arts to the part conversion of museum premises for multi-purpose use.