§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Minister for the Arts whether he will publish a table showing attendances of all the national museums in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Luce[holding answer 8 March 1989]: The estimated number of visitors in each of the last five years to the 11 national museums and galleries (including their outstations) for which I am responsible is as follows:
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Estimated attendances 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 British Museum 3,467,044 4,142,092 3,869,639 4,007,885 4,172,472 British Museum (Natural History) 3,022,254 3,354,351 3,239,685 1,999,130 1,671,330 Imperial War Museum 1,365,888 1,291,435 1,175,834 1,184,959 1,086,587 National Gallery 2,936,926 3,156,725 3,182,365 3,566,568 3,228,153 National Maritime Museum 600,000 600,000 380,099 442,005 707,399 National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside — — 11,163,304 1,328,844 1,525,672 National Portrait Gallery 581,395 516,148 624,520 590,841 638,595 Science Museum 4,510,103 4,607,852 4,824,906 4,732,784 3,861,433 Tate Gallery 1,265,605 996,565 1,153,355 1,742,156 22,091,267 Victoria and Albert Museum 2,079,204 2,067,202 1,439,636 1,398,688 1,430,637 Wallace Collection 177,613 178,770 170,797 168,109 157,524 Total 20,006,032 20,911,140 21,224,140 21,161,969 20,571,119 1The Office of Arts and Libraries became responsible for NMGM in 1986 following the dissolution of the Merseyside County Council. Figures for previous years are unavailable. 2Figure includes Tate Gallery Liverpool which opened in May 1988.