HL Deb 19 January 1984 vol 446 cc1217-8WA
Viscount Eccles

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are now in a position to announce the individual allocations to the national museums and galleries for purchase grants and other running costs for 1984–85.

The Minister of State, Privy Council Office, and Minister for the Arts (The Earl of Gowrie)

I am now able to announce the recurrent provision for the national museums and galleries, subject to parliamentary approval of the Estimates, for 1984–85 within the total of £58,227,000 which I gave in my Statement on 20th December 1983. The figures are as follows:

Original 1983–84 allocation £million 1984–85 allocation £million
British Museum 12.536 12.865
Imperial War Museum 4.140 4.383
National Gallery 6.797 7.024
National Maritime Museum 4.080 4.304
National Portrait Gallery 1.789 1.866
Science Museum 7.728 8.492
Tate Gallery 5.375 5.595
Victoria & Albert Museum 10.456 11.397
Wallace Collection 0.791 0.823
Sir John Soane's Museum 0.165 0.200
Museum of London 1.229 1.278
Total 55.086 58.227

Within these figures, provision is made for purchase grants-in-aid at the same underlying level in 1984–85 as in 1983–84, before allowing for the incidence of revotes; for pay and price movements in line with the Government's assumptions for other running costs; and for extra resources for conservation and other special needs. In addition, the 1984–85 allocations allow for the transfer to the Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum of provision for certain supplies formerly borne on Property Services Agency Votes, and for the return of the Slide Library from the Museums and Galleries Commission to the Victoria and Albert Museum. As usual, the net allocations for individual institutions take account of the incidence of estimated receipts and of revotes.

Provision is made separately on the Property Services Agency Vote, and charged against the arts and libraries programme, for capital building, maintenance and related expenditure for the national museums and galleries. Subject to parliamentary approval of the Supply Estimates, this provision will total £25 million in 1984–85, and will enable priority to be given to an enlarged programme of repairs, maintenance and refurbishment.