Regional Orchestras

HC Deb 25 January 1993 vol 217 c556W

26. Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his policy concerning regional orchestras.

Mr. Key

Under the arm's-length principle, it is for the Arts Council to set policies for the arts in line with the broad objectives agreed by the Government. As my right hon. Friend said in his statement to the House on 11 December,Official Report, columns 1123–33, the orchestras are unevenly distributed around the country, and their funding requirements needed to be assessed by comparison with each other. They will, therefore, continue to be funded directly by the Arts Council rather than the regional arts boards.