Commonwealth Institute (Hansard, 14 February 1994)

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with other Commonwealth Governments about the increasing their funding of the Commonwealth Institute; and what discussions he has had with the Commonwealth Secretariat about improving links between the Secretariat and the Commonwealth Institute, and expanding financial support from the Commonwealth to the Commonwealth Institute.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
All Commonwealth high commissioners in London and the Commonwealth Secretary-General are, ex-officio, governors of the institute's board. Through them, the assessors on the board, appointed by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to represent Government Departments in the United Kingdom, maintain a continuing dialogue on the level of funding and support provided by Commonwealth Governments and the Commonwealth secretariat, in addition to the direct contacts between the institute's staff and high commissions and the secretariat.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what purpose the Commonwealth Institute building would be put if the Commonwealth Institute closes or virtually closes in 1996; and what representations have been made to him by the appropriate local authority about the planning implications of the closure of the Commonwealth Institute, or about acceptable alternative uses for the building.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
The board, the director-general and staff of the institute are developing a re-launch strategy to570W ensure that the institute does not close in 1996. Any alternative use to which the institute's building could be put would have to take account of the building's grade II^* listed status and the terms of the 999 year lease governing the use of the site and building.
On 13 October 1993, the Council of the royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea adopted the following resolution: That this Council notes with dismay the proposal to withdraw funding from the Commonwealth Institute and regrets that should the Institute close, its valuable role in promoting inter-cultural awareness will be lost.
In conveying the resolution to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, the Leader of the council argued that since it occupies a grade II^* listed building the Commonwealth Institute was unique in the borough and that alternative uses for the building would be very hard to find if the institute had to leave.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received urging his Department to continue grant in aid to the Commonwealth Institute beyond 1996; what were the main conclusions of the inquiry, carried out by Lord Armstrong, into the Commonwealth Institute; if he will place a copy of Lord Armstrong's report in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
We have received many representations from MPs and members of the public.
In his review of the Commonwealth Institute, Lord Armstrong identified four options for the institute:

(i) a larger grant in aid

(ii) a continuation of the status quo

(iii) the transfer of the Institute's collection elsewhere, and look separately at the buildings

(iv) the closure of the Institute.

In his conclusions, Lord Armstrong advised against closure; assumed increased Government funding to be unlikely; and recommended that the institute should be enabled to continue to run as at present, while the feasibility of transferring the collection of objects to another institution was examined. He judged that if there was no prospect of a significant increase in Government funding it would be unsatisfactory for all concerned to keep the institute ticking over indefinitely at the present level.
I have placed a copy of Lord Armstrong's review in the Libraries of the House.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with the Departments for Education and for National Heritage and other Government Departments from his Department about spreading or switching funding of the Commonwealth Institute; and what discussions he has had with private sector interests about private sponsorship of the work of the Commonwealth Institute.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
My Department consulted other Government Departments, including the Departments for Education and National Heritage, before the decision to cease funding in 1996 was announced on 21 September 1993. No other Government Department was able to assist financially.
The outlines for a relaunch plan were presented by the board of governors to the institute's annual general meeting on 16 November 1993. The detailed implementation including the financing of this plan is under preparation by the director-general.