HC Deb 20 February 1978 vol 944 cc496-9W
Mr. Cormack

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the acquisitions of the national museums and galleries from 1972 to 1977 were acquired as a result of (a) purchase from annual purchase grant, (b) purchase by special grant, (c) allocated as a result of acceptance in lieu of estate duty or capital transfer tax and (d) gift or bequest; and if she will list all such acquisitions acquired for, or valued at, more than £5,000 at the time of acquisition.

Mr. Oakes

The information requested in the first part of the Question, as regards

Financial Year Total acquisitions Percentage
£ (a) (b) (c) (d)
1972–73 2,798,046 74.4 15.2 0.5 9.9
1973–74 1,499,685 93.3 0.7 6.0
1974–75 1,120,639 85.3 1.2 2.9 10.6
1975–76 2,869,621 82.7 17.3
1976–77 3,085,193 79.8 2.5 17.7

Mr Cormack

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the cost of maintaining each of the national museums and galleries in: (a) 1975–76 and (b) 1976–77; what proportion of the expenditure was accounted for by staff wages and salaries; and what was spent on conservation, display and acquisitions, respectively, during the same years.

Staff wages and salaries Other expenditure Acquisitions Receipts Net total cost
£ £ £ £ £
British Museum:
(a) 3,610,715 915,562 480,000 462,664 4,543,613
(b) 4,154,890 1,125,670 290,000 588,617 4,981,943
Science Museum:
(a) 1,892,388 450,452 25,800 33,183 2,335,457
(b) 2,129,165 565,230 38,183 86,583 2,645,995
Victoria and Albert Museum:
(a) 2,762,396 346,114 300,540 68,256 3,340,794
(b) 3,009,225 447,086 325,800 95,299 3,686,812
Imperial War Museum:
(a) 808,127 273,717 23,000 106,114 998,730
(b) 1,046,546 354,680 23,000 105,273 1,295,953
National Gallery:
(a) 962,110 190,129 840,000 17,040 1,975,199
(b) 1,078,910 213,549 990,000 20,347 2,262,116
National Maritime Museum:
(a) 792,083 419,059 56,000 42,789 1,224,353
(b) 1,030,809 544,927 56,000 58,674 1,573,062
National Portrait Gallery:
(a) 364,266 206,438 90,000 88,915 571,789
(b) 398,266 258,827 90,000 100,358 646,573
Tate Gallery:
(a) 874,124 302,541 570,000 66,743 1,679,922
(b) 971,249 320,533 601,000 79,405 1,813,377
Wallace Collection:
(a) 252,405 35,105 16,936 270,574
(b) 283,489 54,152 23,026 314,615
British Museum (Natural History):
(a) 3,162,313 578,321 47,000 249,302 3,538,332
(b) 3,457,840 851,760 47,000 347,333 4,009,267

Mr. Cormack

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many curatorial and other staff were

the national museums and galleries in England, is given in the table; the list requested in the second part of the Question could not be compiled without disproportionate cost.

Mr. Oakes

The cost of maintaining each of the national museums and galleries in England in (a) 1975–76 and (b) 1976–77 excluding expenditure by the Department of the Environment and acquisition grants given to local museums and galleries, is shown in the following table. Separate information about expenditure on conservation and display could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.

employed in each of the national museums and galleries during 1975, 1976 and 1977, respectively.

Mr. Oakes

The numbers of curatorial and other staff employed in the national museums and galleries in England are

1975 1976 1977
Science Museum
Curatorial 133 139 144
Other 330 387 376
Total 463 526 520
Victoria and Albert
Curatorial 154 167 161
Other 502 531 510
Total 656 698 671
British Museum
Curatorial 147 156 164
Other 748 844 844
Total 895 1,000 1,008
Imperial War Museum
Curatorial 52 63 68
Other 143 147 173
Total 195 210 241
National Gallery
Curatorial 12 13 13
Other 208 239 241
Total 220 252 254
National Maritime Museum
Curatorial 51 54 63
Other 184 178 239
Total 235 232 302
National Portrait Gallery
Curatorial 16 20 21
Other 66 66 69
Total 82 86 90
Tate Gallery
Curatorial 33 33 36
Other 196 197 205
Total 229 230 241
Wallace Collection
Curatorial 5 5 4
Other 61 64 67
Total 66 69 71
British Museum (Natural History)*
Curatorial
Other
Total 716 739 737
* Total figures only can be given for this museum. It includes scientific staff who carry out curatorial duties.