§ Mr. SummersonTo ask the Minister for the Arts how his policy of incentive funding applies to museums and galleries.
§ Mr. LuceMuseums and galleries, like other organisations funded by the arts programme, will have an incentive to strengthen their financial position.
The figures which I have announced for the next three years give the institutions a firm base on which to develop and pursue their plans. I have renewed for the next three years my undertaking to the national institutions that they may retain any additional receipts they earn in addition to those which were assumed at the time of their grant-in-aid allocations.
Within my allocations for running costs to the national museums and galleries, I have earmarked a total of £0.57 million to help them through training and in other ways to improve their management and marketing. I have also made provision for the Museums and Galleries Commission to assist other museums and galleries in the same way.
In announcing the increase of £6 million, or over 20 per cent. in the building and maintenance programme of the national museums and galleries in 1988–89 I made it clear that the allocation of the margin amounting to over £12 million in 1989–90, and nearly £15 million in 1990–91, would depend partly upon the extent to which the institutions can raise money from other sources towards the achievement of their plans. A number of institutions have shown great initiative already in attracting private funds for new developments.