§ Mr. Fisherasked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts whether Her Majesty's Government intend that the Arts Council should take on sole responsibility for funding a number of arts organisations, as a result of the proposals for local government reorganisation; and what impact he expects this to have on the established Arts Council policy of encouraging local authorities to join it in funding the arts.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe measures proposed by the Government in the recently-published consultation paper include an increase in central support, through the Arts 5W Council, for a small number of arts organisations in the areas concerned. The paper makes clear that the Government also expects an appropriate level of support from district and borough councils for arts activities in their areas. The proposals are therefore consistent with the Arts Council's policy of encouraging local authorities to join it in funding the arts.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts if the Minister for the Arts has had any discussions with the Arts Council regarding those arts bodies that will go out of existence should the Greater London council and the metropolitan counties be abolished.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWe await a formal response from the Arts Council to the proposals set out in the arts consultative paper.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts if he will list all those arts bodies, including museums, currently funded by the metropolitan counties; and if he is satisfied that none will be at risk should those authorities be abolished.
§ Mr. WaldegraveFrom the information available, it is understood that arts bodies receiving grants exceeding £20,000 each from the six metropolitan county councils in 1983–84 are as follows:
Greater Manchester
- Amateur Theatre Base
- Bolton Octogon
- Contact Theatre
- Greater Manchester Museum of Science and Industry
- Halle Orchestra
- Manchester Museum
- Northern Ballet Theatre
- North West Arts
- Northern Youth Theatre
- Oldham Coliseum
- Opera North
- Royal Exchange Theatre
- Royal Opera
- Whitworth Art Gallery
- Workers' Film Association
Merseyside
- Beatles Museum
- Empire Theatre
- Everyman Theatre
- Liverpool Playhouse
- Merseyside Maritime Museum
- Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society
- Walker Art Gallery
South Yorkshire
- County Museums and Art Galleries Service
- Sheffield Crucible
Tyne and Wear
- Beamish Museum
- County Museums and Art Galleries Service (including Laing Art Gallery)
- International Folkmoot
- Newcastle Theatre Royal
- Northern Arts
- Northern Sinfonia
- Sunderland Empire
- Tyne and Wear Theatre Trust
- Whitley Bay Playhouse
West Midlands
- Black Country Museum
- Birmingham Railway Museum
- City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
- Touring Companies:
6 - English Philharmonic Orchestra
- Sadlers Wells
- Royal Ballet
- Welsh National Opera
- West Midlands Arts
West Yorkshire
- Leeds Playhouse
- Opera North
Information on other arts organisations receiving smaller grants in these areas is not held centrally. There can be no guarantee that all these activities will remain unaffected by abolition. To flourish they must convince their local communities — both public and private sectors — that they are worthy of support. No arts activity should assume perpetual public funding, regardless of merits or circumstances.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts if he will list all those arts bodies, including museums, currently funded by the Greater London council; and if he is satisfied that none will be at risk should the Greater London council be abolished.
§ Mr. WaldegraveDetails are not normally held centrally but, from information made available for 1982–83, the following arts bodies were in receipt of grants exceeding £50,000 each from the Greater London council:
- Almeida Theatre, Islington
- Battersea Arts Centre
- The Combination
- English National Opera
- Free Form Arts Trust
- Geffrye Museum
- Greater London Arts Association
- Half Moon Theatre
- Horniman Museum
- Jacksons Lane Community Centre
- Kenwood Museum
- London Festival Ballet
- London Orchestral Concerts Board
- Mander and Mitchenson Theatre Collection
- Marble Hill House
- Museum of London
- National Theatre
- Ranger's House
- Riverside Studios
- Royal Opera House
- Sadlers Wells
- St. George's Theatre
- South Bank Complex
- Tara Arts Group
- Theatre Royal, Stratford East
- Torn Allen Centre
- Tricycle Theatre
In addition, about 240 other arts and cultural organisations in 1982–83 received smaller grants from the Greater London council.
There can be no guarantee that all these activities will remain unaffected by abolition. To flourish they must convince their local communities — both public and private sectors—that they are worthy of support. No arts activity should assume perpetual public funding, regardless of merits or circumstances.