HC Deb 18 November 1987 vol 122 cc583-4W
Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Minister for the Arts what is the capital cost of the new British Library at St. Pancras; and what proportion of the total spending by his Department the new British Library has represented in each year, including 1987–88, since its inception.

Mr. Luce

The estimated cost of that stage of the new British library building at St. Pancras which has been approved and is currently being constructed is £242.5 million at second quarter 1987 prices. Expenditure on this project has been from the votes of the Property Services Agency.

As a proportion of the total central Government arts budget, expenditure on this project is as follows :

Per cent.
1982–83 1.7
1983–84 2.2
1984–85 2.3
1985–86 2.4
1986–87 3.3
1987–881 6.9
1 Estimate.

Note: Earlier years: less than 1 per cent.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will list the grants made by him to the existing British Library at Bloomsbury in each year from 1979–80 to 1987–88; and if he will break the figures down into their revenue and capital components.

Mr. Luce

Grant-in-aid for the British Library from 1979–80 to 1987–88 is as follows:

£000
1979–80 32,052
1980–81 35,397
1981–82 38,463
1982–83 42,950
1983–84 44,843
1984–85 46,850
1985–86 48,254
1986–87 49,800
1987–88 51,000

Grant-in-aid covers all the British Library's functions and activities at Bloomsbury and elsewhere, excluding expenditure on the new building at St. Pancras. Details of the breakdown of expenditure are published in the British Library's annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library.