§ 19. Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement about opportunities for funding for arts and sports in Chelmsford.
§ Mr. SproatFunding for the arts in Chelmsford is mainly provided by the borough council with Essex county council. Chelmsford borough council supports its own directly managed venues and promotions. The Government-funded regional arts board, Eastern Arts, supports the Chelmsford Spectacular and the Chelmsford Cathedral Festival. All of these bodies offer individual project grants. Chelmsford borough council and Eastern Arts have supported a feasibility study into the possibilities of converting Chancellor Hall into a major regional dance centre and, as a follow-up, are presently launching a more detailed architectural study of Chancellor Hall.
The Government's business sponsorship incentive scheme has this year made an award of £4,000 to a Chelmsford-based arts organisation, the Essex Regional Dance Council, to match sponsorship by United Distillers, London.
In addition to local authority funding, financial assistance for sport is provided through the Sports Council and the business sponsorship incentive scheme for sport, both sponsored by my Department, the Foundation for Sport and the Arts (FSA) and the Football Trust. In recent years Chelmsford has benefited from a number of these sources, including a grant of £100,000 from the FSA in 1992 to rebuild an indoor cricket school at the Essex County Cricket Club ground.