HL Deb 12 January 1998 vol 584 cc137-8WA
Earl Russell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the British Library's budget for the purchase of manuscript collections for the financial year 1998–99.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

Allocation of the British Library's resources is a matter for the British Library Board in the light of its various priorities. The board is currently reviewing its budgets for 1998–99, including its acquisitions budget, in light of the Government's announcement of grant-in-aid for the year and will submit its 1998–99 Business Plan to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by the end of February 1998.

The Earl of Clancarty

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the central government grant per admission in the year 1996–97 for each of (a) British Museum (b) National Gallery (c) Tate Gallery (d) National Portrait Gallery (e) Wallace Collection (f) National Army Museum (g) Royal Armouries (h) National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside (t) Imperial War Museum (j) National History Museum (k) Science Museum in London (1) Victoria and Albert Museum (m) National Maritime Museum (n) Royal Air Force Museum.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

The information is given in the following table.

Grant per admission in 1996–97
Museum £
British Museum 4.87
National Gallery 3.75
Tate Gallery 7.57
National Portrait Gallery 5.73
Wallace Collection 10.34
National Army Museum 19.45
Royal Armouries 1.21
National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside 10.85
Imperial War Museum 8.23
Natural History Museum 15.25
Science Museum 8.13
Victoria and Albert Museum 19.29
National Maritime Museum 22.54
Royal Air Force Museum 23.21

Visitor numbers for non-charging museums are often based on counting methods which are prone to error. They may over-estimate the true number of visitors by a significant amount. Comparisons between charging and non-charging museums therefore need to be treated with caution.

In some cases the figures include visits to outstations museums as well as to main sites. No distinction is made at the Tower of London between visitors to the Royal Armouries exhibition and visitors to the rest of the Tower.

The Royal Air Force Museum and National Army Museum are sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, not by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.