§ Mr. DevlinTo ask the Minister for the Arts, what is the estimated cost of necessary repairs and fabric at the national gallery, the national portrait gallery, the Victoria and Albert museum, the Tate gallery and the natural history museum; and what is the estimated cost of modernising the plumbing at each of the above-named institutions.
§ Mr. LuceThe maintenance and repair of these historic buildings is a continuous process which will always require a rolling programme of expenditure. Major maintenance projects are in hand at all of these institutions, but I accept that further investment is necessary. I have allocated £72 million in the current three-year funding period for the building and maintenance programmes at these institutions and hope to announce further allocations later in the year.