§ Mr. JackTo ask the Minister for the Arts what was the level of Government and private sector funding for the arts in 1979; and what he estimates this will be in 1989, at current values.
§ Mr. LuceCentral Government funding for the arts in 1979–80 was £154 million. The provision made for 1989–90 is £439 million. There are no comprehensive figures for private funding of arts activities, which comprises their revenue and trading income together with contributions and support from individuals and organisations of all kinds.
The Government's policy is to create the conditions in which the arts can develop by attracting additional funds 228W from private sources, and I welcome the evidence of its success. Thus, since its introduction in 1984, the business sponsorship incentive scheme has brought £22.75 million new money into the arts and attracted 931 new sponsors. Similarly, the receipts of the national museums and galleries from trading and other activities have risen from some £3 million in 1979–80 to an estimated £27 million in 1989–90.