§ 22. Mr. Tilleyasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is satisfied with the level of public sector financial support for the arts.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasYes. I think that the grants that I have already announced on 9 December, in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire, South-West (Mr. Cormack)—[Vol. 995, c. 535]—will be seen to be fair and reasonable. The proposed grants to the Arts Council of £80 million, British Film Institute of £6.4 million and Crafts Council of £1.4 million represent increases of approximately 14 per cent., 11 per cent. and 17 per cent. respectively on present levels. Equally important, the grants have been announced four months ahead of the opening of the financial year so that these bodies can plan ahead.
§ 23. Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will announce the amount by which commercial firms have increased their sponsorship of the arts for the current year 1980–81.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasAn accurate measurement would require specific research at the end of the financial year. The London Business School reports a figure of £2.8 million for 1978–79, but there is every indication that there has been a substantial growth in business sponsorship of the arts during the last 12 months, and the figure of £4 million to £5 million estimated by the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts appears about right. I am delighted by this progress.