§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, when she gave an increased grant for the current year to area museum councils, she specified that these funds were intended to provide for new arrangements for circulating exhibitions to replace the Victoria and Albert Museum scheme.
§ Mr. OakesThe Government's grant to the area museum councils is allocated between the councils on the recommendation of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries. The letter sent to the Commission a year ago to tell it of the substantially increased total grant for the current year explained that, among other things, the increase was intended to allow the councils to expand their programmes of travelling exhibitions.
§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals she has received from area museum services for exhibition services to replace the Victoria and Albert scheme; and what response she has given.
§ Mr. OakesThe area museums councils were represented at a national conference on travelling exhibitions convened in 1977 at the suggestion of my noble Friend the Minister for the arts. Their proposal was that, given additional resources, they could make an improved contribution to the number of travelling exhibitions available. The grant to the councils for 1978–79 was almost 28 per cent. higher than the previous year, and will be 12 per cent. higher again next year.