HC Deb 17 December 1992 vol 216 cc370-1W
Sir John Stanley

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage in what areas of his Department's responsibilities he has introduced, or may introduce, private finance; and if he will describe in each case the procedures by which private finance is sought.

Mr. Brooke

The private finance initiative is intended to apply to all services which are traditionally provided by Government Departments. My Department is considering how to apply the initiative in its areas of responsibility on the basis of the guidance which has been published by the Treasury.

The Department of National Heritage operates largely through a network of public bodies and agencies which receive much of their support from public funds, but which are managed and operate at arm's length from the Government.

Where appropriate, my Department seeks to encourage and maximise private sector contributions. In arts and sport, for example, business sponsorship schemes provide pound-for-pound matching of funds by the Government and the private sector for particular projects. The scheme for arts has been in place for some time; that for sport was launched by me in November 1992.

English Heritage's forward strategy proposed new initiatives for private funding of the heritage, including private sponsorship of a major new visitor center at Stonehenge. Nearly all the marketing and development activities undertaken by the British Tourist Authority and the English tourist board attract significant funding from the tourism industry.

A further example is the museums and galleries improvement fund which is funded equally by the Government and the Wolfson Foundation and Family Charitable Trust.

At another level, private funding is achieved through admission charges to the many institutions supported by my Department.

The national lottery and the millennium fund will be established through the Bill which I am publishing today. There will be a presumption that national lottery projects should seek partnership funding where possible, bringing in significant contributions from the private sector. It is, however, important to recognise that these initiatives are not intended to replace public expenditure; they will provide valuable additional funds for particular projects.