HC Deb 30 October 1989 vol 159 c74W
69. Dr. Blackburn

To ask the Minister for the Arts how many local museums and galleries there are currently in the United Kingdom; and how many there were in 1983, differentiating between publicly and privately funded institutions.

Mr. Luce

The Museum Association database indicated that of the 1,750 museums and galleries in 1984, 116 were national and Government Department-funded museums, 717 were in the charge of local authorities and 917 were privately funded. I understand that the Museums and Galleries Commission presently estimates that the number of institutions has risen to 2,500 in 1989.