§ 19. Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment she has made of overall public funding provision for the arts. [16371]
§ Mr. SproatFunding for the arts in this country is at a higher level now than ever before. Through the four arts councils, the Government are giving £229 million this year. Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are providing revenue funding of around £237 million. Support last year from the business community reached a new peak at nearly £83 million. On top of this, the lottery has provided more than £277 million towards improving and increasing the availability and quality of the arts for everyone in the UK.