§ Mr. BaldryTo ask the Minister for the Arts whether he is satisfied that the present arrangements for the support of the arts through the Arts Council and the regional arts associations in England are adequate to meet changing needs.
§ Mr. LuceI believe that the time has come to review the existing structure in the light of recent changes and present developments. After consultation with the chairman of the Arts Council, Lord Rees-Mogg, and his successor designate, Mr. Peter Palumbo, I have invited Mr. Richard Wilding, the present head of the Office of Arts and Libraries who retires from the public service at the end of this month, to conduct a review in consultation with the parties concerned and to report to me by 31 October 1989.
The review will be primarily concerned with the structure of support, and the way in which the various parts of the system fit together. It will be conducted on the basis that the arm's-length principle will continue to
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Minister and other paid office holders Current official salary January 1989 official salary Percentage increase Current total salary (including reduced Parliamentary salary of £ 16,911) Total January 1989 salary (including reduced Parliamentary salary of £18,148) Percentage increase £ £ £ £ Prime Minister1 45,787 46,109 0.70 62,698 64,257 2.49 Mr. Speaker 35,887 36,209 0.90 52,798 54,357 2.95 Cabinet Minister (C) 34,157 34,479 0.94 51,068 52,627 3.05 Cabinet Minister (L) 40,438 41,997 3.86 Minister of State (C) 23,887 24,209 1.35 40,798 42,357 3.82 Minister of State (L) 34,688 37,047 6.80 Parliamentary Secretary (C) 17,897 18,219 1.80 34,808 36,367 4.48 Parliamentary Secretary (L) 28,688 30,647 6.83 Attorney General 36,357 36,679 0.89 53,268 54,827 2.93 Solicitor General 29,637 29,959 1.09 46,548 48,107 3.35 Lord Advocate 40,508 42,067 3.85 Solicitor-General for Scotland 34,956 36,515 4.46 govern the allocation of money within a given total and the making of artistic judgments, and that a substantial amount of decision-making should continue to take place at the regional level. Existing arrangements in Scotland and Wales will not be affected by the review.
The thinking that underlies the commissioning of the review and the scope that I wish it to cover are set out at greater length in a letter which I have today sent to Lord Rees-Mogg. I am placing a copy of the letter in the Library.
Mr. Wilding will carry out wide consultations in the course of the review. Any person or body wishing to contribute views or comments is invited to write to him, care of the Office of Arts and Libraries, Horse Guards Road, London SW1P 3AL.