HC Deb 04 February 1997 vol 289 c583W
Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if she will publish a list of members of the Arts Forum; [12319]

(2) with what frequency she intends her Arts Forum to meet; and what is its remit. [12320]

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Following the publication in July of my Department's policy document "Setting the Scene: The Arts and Young People", I announced on 14 October 1996 the establishment of a new Arts Forum, to be a joint forum with the Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. It is intended that the forum should meet roughly four times per year. Membership if the forum is not fixed, and varies according to the subject under discussion. The first meeting of the forum, on 7 November 1996, considered its terms of reference and adopted the followingThe terms of reference for the forum will be: to highlight issues which impact on the future of the arts, to stimulate and broaden the debate; to suggest strategies which can best sustain the arts economy; to advise on and help the process of government policy making; in particular to consider, advise on and where appropriate assist with implementation of the recommendations arising from the Department of National Heritage's policy document "Setting the Scene"; to bring together and make connections between organisations and individuals involved in the arts, and other sectors with an interest in them.