§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts what information he has about the operation of concert halls in other parts of the world; and which currently operate along commercially viable lines.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[pursuant to his reply, 12 December 1983, c. 337]: Very little comparative information is available. In the course of the recent financial scrutiny of the Royal opera house, the team examined opera houses in a number of other countries, some of which put on concerts as well as opera. Of those they examined, only the New York Metropolitan opera house operated without major public subsidy, although there is, of course, an element of tax revenue forgone in respect of private and corporate donations.