§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Minister for the Arts if he has any plans to change the status of any museums from local to national as a result of the abolition of the metropolitan county councils.
§ Mr. LuceThe Government's plans for the future funding of major museums and art galleries affected by the abolition of the metropolitan county councils were outlined in their reply of 31 July 1984 (a copy of which is in the Library of the House) to the first report of the Select Committee on Education, Science and the Arts, 1983–84 Session.
A trustee body is to be established by Order in Council under section 46 of the Local Government Act 1985, to
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Arts Council of Great Britain £000 1985–86 provision £000 A1 England 84,492 (1) General Expenditure on the Arts 80,096 (a) Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Limited; English National Opera; National Theatre Board; and Royal Shakespeare Theatre 30,330 (b) Regional Arts Associations 12,892 (c) Music, Opera and Dance 15,828 (d) Drama 14,579 (e) Art and Arts Films 3,920 (f) Literature 518 (g) Combined Arts 1,229 (h) Training in the Arts and Education 800 (2) Administration and Operational Expenditure 4,395 Unallocated — A2 Scotland (1) General Expenditure on the Arts 11,997 (a) Music, Opera and Dance 6,548 (b) Drama 2,517 (c) Art and Film 1,062 (d) Literature 515 (e) Arts Centres, Regional Projects and Festivals 1,355 (2) Administration and Operational Expenditure 743 Unallocated — A3 Wales 7,139 (1) General Expenditure on the Arts 6,524 (a) Music, Opera and Dance 2,651 (b) Drama 1,728 (c) Art 641 (d) Literature 606 (e) Arts associations, Arts Centres and Regional Projects 898 (2) Administration and Operational Expenditure 615 Unallocated — A4 Housing the Arts 1,230 A5 South Bank 400 Total 106,000 take over responsibility for the bulk of the museum and art gallery service hitherto maintained by Merseyside county council, and will be centrally funded directly by the Office of Arts and Libraries. The only other museum to be centrally funded directly by the OAL is the Greater Manchester museum of science and industry, already constituted as an independent charitable trust. The arrangements for other major museums and galleries will be as set out in the reply of 31 July 1984. Responsibility for institutions not listed therein will pass to the appropriate successor local authorities.