ARTS COUNCIL FUNDING

Early day motion 423, tabled 27 June 2005 by Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 9 members.

That this House notes that the Government's grant-in-aid to the Arts Council has been frozen over the next three financial years, representing a total cut of £34 million available to the arts nationally; recognises that this will cause difficulties for many of the organisations whose budgets rely on financial support from the Arts Council, including 245 catering for the visual arts; therefore considers it prudent not to embark on future capital projects which will cause additional revenue demands on the public purse, such as the proposed £17 million visual arts facility at Colchester which will have a projected annual loss of £700,000, and which the majority of local residents do not want; calls on the Arts Council to review its support for this and other loss-making proposed new galleries; and urges the Arts Council to limit its support to those new projects which are financially sustainable and do not rely on publicly funded annual subsidies to cover operating losses.

Signatures by party: Labour 5, Liberal Democrat 3, Plaid Cymru 1.