Museums and Galleries (Hansard, 20 April 1998)

§ 13. Mr. Loughton
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on funding for national museums. [37419]

§ Mr. Fisher
Funding for the national Museums and Galleries has been protected for the 1998–99 financial year. Allocations to individual institutions are unchanged from those announced by the previous Government, except for an extra £1.3 million held in reserve for the British Museum and the Tate Gallery to maintain free entry pending the outcome of the Department's spending review.
The March Budget also included the announcement of a £9 million package to promote access to Museums and Galleries.
An announcement will be made in the summer on the outcome of the Departmental Spending Review, which will inform spending decisions for 1999–2000 and beyond.

§ Dr. Kumar
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will make a statement on the criteria which he used to allocate money to(a) the British Museum, (b) the Victoria and Albert Museum, (c) the Natural History Museum and (d) the Science Museum for the year 1998–99; [38757]
(2) if he will make a statement on the criteria which he has used to allocate money for museums in 1998–99; and what plans he has to review those criteria. [38756]

§ Mr. Fisher
Funding for the museums and galleries sector has been protected for the 1998–99 financial year. Allocations to the national institutions are unchanged from those announced by the previous Government, except for an extra £1 million held in reserve for the British Museum (and £300 thousand for the Tate Gallery) to maintain free entry pending the outcome of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Spending Review.
In addition, the March Budget included the announcement of a £9 million package to further promote access to museums and galleries.
450W
We are reviewing funding criteria for the museums and galleries sector as part of the Spending Review. The conclusions will be announced in the summer and will inform spending decisions for 1999–2000 and beyond.

§ 24. Helen Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to promote more educational programmes by museums and galleries. [37431]

§ Mr. Fisher
This is an issue for my Department's spending review, which will be completed in the summer. Museums and galleries have great educational value and I am keen to encourage development of that role.