HC Deb 13 May 2002 vol 385 cc411-2W
22. Mr. Kevan Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her support for museums in the north-east of England. [53983]

Tessa Jowell

My Department directly provides support to the Tyne and Wear Museums to the sum of £1 million per year. Resource, the Council for Museums, Libraries and Archives will provide funding to the North East Museum, Libraries and Archives Council to the tune of £745,000 in 2002–03.

Resource has now received bids from each English region, including the North East, to be considered for selection as regional hubs in accordance with the recommendations of the Regional Museums task force as set out in the report Renaissance in the Regions: a new vision for England's museums which was published last October. My Department are currently working with Resource to start implementing the task force recommendations with £10 million per annum which was given to Resource in the last spending review.

We will take the task force's recommendations into account in the current spending review alongside other priorities.

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