§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date the Northern Ireland Arts Council decided to withdraw funding from the Dubbeljoint/Just Us production of their play, "Forced Upon Us"; what reasons were given for this decision; on what date the theatre company was informed; if he will list the correspondence received by the Arts Council from the RUC, the Police Authority, and any other public authority in connection with this play; and if he will make a statement on freedom of expression and political vetting in the Arts. [95368]
§ Mr. McFall[holding answer 27 October 1999]: I am advised by the Chief Executive of the Arts Council that the Artistic Director of Dubbeljoint Productions was informed in a letter of 28 June 1999 that Arts Council revenue funding for the production of "Forced Upon Us" was conditional upon receipt of a completed script which the Council could assess artistically. Two unfinished scripts which were received by the Arts Council on 24 June and 15 July 1999 fell well below the threshold of artistic acceptability in the opinion of the Council and its external assessors. The Council informed Dubbeljoint Productions and Just Us Community Theatre on 22 July 1999 that their script of "Forced Upon Us" fell well below the artistic standard which the Council expected from its clients and that no Council funding could be directed towards it production.
I am advised that no correspondence was received by the Arts Council from the RUC, the Police Authority or any other public authority in connection with "Forced Upon Us". The Arts Council of Northern Ireland operates at arm's length from Government and has complete independence in exercising its artistic judgment within available resources.
From the information available to me, I am satisfied that the Arts Council's decision to withhold funding from Dubbeljoint Productions for its production of "Forced Upon Us" was taken solely on artistic grounds and was not motivated by any political considerations. The Arts 41W Council and Dubbeljoint Productions issued a joint statement on 1 October 1999 indicating that the matter had been resolved to their mutual satisfaction.