HC Deb 04 March 1996 vol 273 cc83-5W
Mr. John D. Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of co-operation between the Northern Ireland Arts Council and the arts council in(a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) the Irish Republic; and what plans there are to enhance co-operation and promote more jointly funded projects. [17096]

Mr. Ancram

The chairmen and chief executives of the four Arts Councils in the United Kingdom meet from time to time to consider matters of common interest. Close co-operation has also evolved between the four councils in relation to their function as distributing bodies for the proceeds of the national lottery, with regular meetings at official level.

The chief executives of the Arts Councils in Northern Ireland, in the Republic of Ireland, in Scotland and in Wales meet annually to exchange information and ideas. Officers of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland are in frequent contact with officers of all four of the other Arts Councils about areas of mutual interest and individual projects which extend to more than one territory.

The Arts Councils of Northern Ireland and of the Republic of Ireland have held annual joint meetings since the mid-1970s at which areas of co-operation are explored. In 1994, the two councils established a joint committee, with four representatives from each council, which meets twice a year to explore and develop a variety of further cross-border initiatives with particular emphasis on the involvement of youth. The two Arts Councils already jointly fund a number of all-Ireland activities and organisations, and have agreed to make joint appointments of staff as and when necessary. They currently jointly employ an arts co-operation officer to encourage north/south co-operation and co-ordinate touring arts events in both territories.

Mr. Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times the chairman of the Northern Ireland Arts Council met the chairmen of the arts councils in(a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) the Irish Republic in 1995. [17097]

Mr. Ancram

The chairman of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland met his Scottish, English and Welsh counterparts on one occasion in 1995 while he had three meetings with the chairman of the Arts Council of the Republic of Ireland.

In addition to the above, the vice-chairman of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland substituted for the chairman at one meeting with the chairmen of the Scottish, the English and the Welsh councils.

Mr. Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what projects were jointly funded between the Northern Ireland Arts Council and the arts council in(a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) the Irish Republic in 1995; and at what cost. [17098]

Mr. Ancram

In 1995, the four UK Arts Councils and the Arts Council in the Republic of Ireland funded a five cities tour of poetry readings. The cost to the Arts Council of England was £22,000, with the other four councils contributing £1,000 each.

Jointly funded projects between individual councils were as follows:

  1. (a) The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Scottish Arts Council jointly commissioned from Piers Hellawell a musical composition for the Highland festival in June 1996 at a cost of £650 to each Council.
  2. (b) There were no projects jointly funded between the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of England.
  3. (c) There were no projects jointly funded between the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of Wales.
  4. (d) There were a large number of projects jointly funded between the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council in the Republic of Ireland. My officials are currently 85 gathering the information requested and I will write to the right hon. Gentleman as soon as it is available, and place the information in the Library of the House.