Arts Council (Hansard, 18 January 1996)

§ Mr. Luff
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) when she last met the chairman or officials of the Arts Council of England to discuss the reduction in its grant in aid for 1996–97; and if she will make a statement; [9699]
(2) if she will publish figures for the cumulative change in the Arts Council for England grant in aid on an actual or estimated basis for each year from 1993–94 to 1998–99, in both cash and real terms; [9696]
(3) what representations she has received about the impact of the reduction of the Arts Council of England grant for 1996–97 on (a) reopened theatres, (b) small and medium-scale touring theatres, (c) regional ballet and opera companies, (d) regional orchestras, (e) dance training, (f) small-scale publishing and (g) the network of art galleries subsidised through the Arts Council and regional arts boards; [9700]
(4) if she will publish figures for the grant in aid to the Arts Council for 1993–94 to 1996–97 and estimates for 1997–98 to 1998–99, in cash terms, the annual change for each year in cash and real terms and the relative percentage changes. [9697]

§ Mr. Sproat
The figures requested are as follows:

Mr. Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment she has made of the effect on the charges to the BBC for its transmission services of the privatisation of those services. [9866]

§ Mr. Sproat
Our consultants, led by Hill Samuel, assessed the effect of privatisation on the cost to the BBC of transmission services. We have determined that the Office of Telecommunications will regulate the costs of any private sector supplier with which the BBC subsequently contracts to provide transmission services, to ensure that the cost to the corporation of its current transmission services does not increase in real terms.

Mr. Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if the privatisation of BBC transmission facilities will lead to separation of World Service transmitter operations from domestic operations. [9863]
Mr. Sproat: That is a matter to be determined in preparing for the privatisation.