§ Lord Sefton of Garstonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What financial assistance was provided for the National Opera in 1988 and how many people attended its performances in that year.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Trumpington)For the financial year 1988/89, the Arts Council's grant to the English National Opera was £6,917,000, and attendances were about 450,000. Of 14 productions in that period, nine had average attendances with over 85 per cent. In the same year, the Royal Opera received a grant of £6,492,000, and the attendances were over 250,000. Average attendances at the Royal Opera for that year were 89 per cent.