§ Mr. Fisherasked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts which local authority would assume responsibility for (a) Liverpool Playhouse theatre, (b) Liverpool Everyman theatre and (c) Liverpool Empire theatre if the Government's proposals in "Streamlining the Cities" were implemented; and if he is satisfied that these local authorities would be willing to assume these responsibilities.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[pursuant to his reply, 15 December 1983, c. 525]: It is proposed that Liverpool city council should assume responsibility for the Playhouse, Everyman and Empire theatres following the abolition of the Merseyside metropolitan county council in 1986. Adjustments in the method of distributing rate support grant and of calculating grant-related expenditure will be made to take account of the transfers, but it will be for the council itself to decide whether to support these bodies and how much to spend.