§ Mr. Parryasked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts if he will make a statement on the recent visit to Liverpool by the Minister for the Arts.
§ Mr. WaldegraveMy noble Friend the Minister for the Arts visited the county museum, the Maritime museum, Southport arts centre, Atkinson art gallery, Merseyside Arts Association and Lady Lever art gallery during the course of his tour of Merseyside on 4 January. He met also representatives of the Liverpool playhouse, Empire theatre, Everyman theatre, Beatles museum and Royal Liverpool philharmonic orchestra. He listened carefully to the representations put to him and undertook to give them serious consideration before decisions are made on the future arrangements for those arts activities affected by the abolition of Merseyside metropolitan county council.