§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the outcome of his Department's review of funding for regimental museums; and if he will ensure that his Department's funding for the museum of the Royal Dragoon Guards and Prince of Wales's Own Regiment in York will be maintained in future years at a sufficient level to allow the joint museum to remain in a city centre location. [16647]
§ Mr. SoamesThe Government are fully aware of the important contribution made by regimental and corps museums to preserving the identity, history and traditions of their associated regiments and to maintaining the public profile of the Army in many parts of the UK. Nevertheless, as part of the Government's determination to reduce expenditure in the defence support area, and to concentrate it on the front line, the contribution my 107W Department makes to the funding of regimental and corps museums will be reduced by a little under 13 per cent. from April 1998. We are currently consulting with museum trustees about how these adjustments should best be achieved. A panel drawn from people with wide experience in museum management is to review the allocation of funds and recommend where the savings should fall. The future funding of all museums, including the museum of the Royal Dragoon Guards and Prince of Wales's Own Regiment in York, will be considered as part of this review. It would be premature to form a view as to what impact there might be on particular museums until the panel has reported.