HL Deb 25 March 2002 vol 633 cc3-4WA
Baroness Anelay of St Johns

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they will implement their recommendation at paragraph 2.12 of the stage two quinquennial review report National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery that officials of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport need the opportunity to engage directly with the chairmen and trustees of the galleries; and [HL3406]

What action they propose to take as a consequence of their conclusion reached at paragraph 3.13 of the stage two quinquennial review report National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery that at the National Gallery there is a concern that the pressure to raise funds from nongovernmental sources is leading to a greater emphasis on the fund-raising ability of Trustees and that this may be to the detriment of other requirements at board level; and [HL3407]

What action they propose to take in response to the conclusion reached at paragraph 3.74 of the stage two quinquennial review report National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery that the National Gallery believes that without an increase in grant-in-aid in real terms it will not be possible to expand its outreach and partnerships and may also have to reduce its services to the public; and [HL3408]

What action they propose to take in respect to the conclusion reached at paragraph 4.13 of the stage two quinquennial review report National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery that the government increases in funding to the National Portrait Gallery have not matched the costs of initiatives such as

Summary of RAB administration and overhead costs as a percentage of expenditure
EAB EMAB LAB NAB NWAB SAB SEAB ABSW WMAB YAB
1996–97
Total admin & overheads 1,172,567 907,999 1,788,826 1,153.409 1,346,020 987,085 837,920 1,062,346 1,163,108 1,098,290
Total expenditure 5,672,041 5,039,043 14,864,120 8,267,016 9,667,594 4,396,563 3,386,680 4,980,592 6,468,162 7,641,412
Admin & overheads as % of total expenditure 21% 18% 12% 14% 14% 22% 25%, 21% 18% 14%
1997–98
Total admin & overheads 1,306,192 1,022,998 2,148,360 1,191.143 1,467,866 1,152,545 1,015,794 1,076,834 1,222,727 1,232,622
Total expenditure 5,921,244 5,168,319 14,872,438 7,891,794 11,219,265 4,503,999 3,615,520 5,238,197 6,822,659 7,774,146
Admin & overheads as % of total expenditure 22% 20% 14% 15% 13% 26% 28% 21% 18% 16%
1998–99
Total admin & overheads 1,356,880 1,122,304 1,967,743 1,153,409 1,548,197 1,214,485 1,133,405 1,278,564 1,277,346 1,315,188
Total expenditure 5,639,774 5,365,203 14,811,118 8,267,016 10,078,239 5,079,650 3,761,861 5,297,039 7,000,927 8,021,625

extended opening hours and the opening of the Ondaatje Wing, and that the underlying level of grant-in-aid has not kept pace with inflation over the years; and [HL3409]

What are their plans to implement the proposal on page 49 of the stage two quinquennial review report National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport could, in future, conducts a "conversation with a purpose" with all new trustees appointed by the Government so that they could be briefed on the role of the department. [HL3410]

Baroness Blackstone

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, together with the two galleries, will prepare an implementation plan responding to each of the recommendations of the quinquennial review. Meanwhile DCMS:

  1. (a) has put new arrangements in place for annual meetings between the chairmen and the DCMS Director of Museums, Libraries and Heritage;
  2. (b) in consultation with the chairman, takes into account the skill requirements of the board of trustees when agreeing the role specification for each new appointment;
  3. (c) considering how best to ensure that all new trustees are briefed properly on the role of the department; and
  4. (d) is reviewing the financial requirements of its sponsored museums and galleries in the context of the current spending review;
  5. (e) including the funding requirements of the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.