§ Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the grant to the Scottish National Opera Company, whose headquarters is at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow; and what were the criteria used by the Government when considering a substantial grant of that nature.
§ Mr. McElhoneIn 1974 the Government made a grant of £1,000,000 to Scottish Opera Theatre Royal Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Opera, to meet half the then estimated cost of purchasing and renovating the Theatre Royal, Glasgow. Because of unforeseen difficulties relating to the site and the adaptations, the final cost rose to about £2,780,000 and, subject to parliamentary approval, my right hon. Friend has recently offered a further grant of £390,000 making a total of £1,390,000, approximately half the total cost of the102W project. The remainder of the cost is being met by contributions from other sources including commerce, industry, local authorities and private individuals.
The Government's contribution is given in recognition of the importance of the Theatre Royal as the home of Scotland's national opera company; of the international reputation of the company and the contribution it makes to the quality of life in Scotland; and of the successful efforts made by the company and its supporters to secure substantial funds from other sources.