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THE ARTS
Enhancement Fund
29. Mrs. Golding : To ask the Minister for the Arts what criteria he will employ when distributing his new enhancement fund.
The Minister for the Arts (Mr. David Mellor) : The enhancement fund will help arts organisations to enhance the quality of their output and management. I have asked the Arts Council to propose criteria that will achieve those objectives.
Mrs. Golding : The Minister will be aware of the concern that the fund will not be used to help smaller regional theatres. What reassurance can he give to theatres such as the New Victoria theatre in my constituency, which has operated for the past four years on a subsidy grant less than that agreed by the Arts Council?
Mr. Mellor : The hon. Lady will understand that I mean no disrespect to that theatre when I say that I cannot comment specifically on it. The fund represents moneys that were made available to meet the needs of the hour. They are not confined to the great national companies but include the needs of local companies. I hope that the Arts Council will propose a range of uses of the enhancement fund that will meet local and national needs.
Mr. Luce : May I congratulate my right hon. and learned Friend and my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury most warmly on their remarkable achievement in substantially increasing the overall amount of money for the arts which demonstrates the Government's continuing commitment to the arts? Will my right hon. and learned Friend clarify and make it quite plain that one objective of the imaginative enhancement fund is to make it easier for the Arts Council to channel more money to arts bodies that provide art of the highest quality?
Mr. Mellor : My right hon. Friend is an extremely hard act to follow. This year's good settlement merely follows on from his tremendous efforts during his five years as Minister for the Arts, culminating in last year's settlement. The aim of the enhancement fund is to enhance the activities of excellent companies. It is not confined to companies that have run up deficits.
Mr. Maclennan : When the Minister first announced the enhancement fund he said that he would take a close look at the proposals. Does his close look constitute a different approach to the arm's length principle from that of previous Ministers for the Arts?
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Mr. Mellor : No, it certainly does not. In previous years my right hon. Friend the Member for Shoreham (Mr. Luce) very properly top-sliced certain sums of money for particular uses. For instance, there was an incentive fund of £5 million and my right hon. Friend made provision for an additional £3 million this year for different sorts of incentive schemes. Because of present needs, it is right that there should be an enhancement fund, but I do not propose to enter into the details of its distribution. If, however, I obtain money from the Treasury on the basis that there are needs to be met, I am entitled to examine whether those needs have been met. I do not believe that the arm's- length principle means that Ministers should resemble the Frankenstein monster, although some may see a comparison, with life breathed into one in September to argue with the Treasury in October, to announce the provision of money in November and then to go back to sleep again in December for eight months. My duty is to ensure that the arts are safeguarded by the proper distribution of funds.Mr. Cormack : I, too, congratulate my right hon. and learned Friend on an excellent settlement. May I thank him for his approach to arts matters? Will he confirm that both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera house will be eligible for further assistance from the fund?
Mr. Mellor : They will certainly be eligible, but we shall have to await the Arts Council's deliberations.
Appointments
30. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many appointments he has personally approved since assuming his responsibilities as Minister for the Arts.
Mr. Mellor : Twelve, Sir. Seven were for the British Film Institute, including the reappointment of Sir Richard Attenborough as chairman. Four were for the Crafts Council. The other was for the British museum.
Mr. Banks : I am certain that the Minister has backed the winner in the leadership contest for the Conservative party. When the goodies are handed out, will he impress upon the new Prime Minister the need to have the Minister for the Arts in the Cabinet? The right hon. and learned Gentleman would enjoy that, and the arts world would benefit from it. Now that the lady has almost gone and we can talk freely among ourselves again, will he drop the absurd Thatcherite obsession with attacking local authorities? Will he make it clear that when he makes appointments to the regional arts boards he will keep up the number of local authority nominees?
Mr. Mellor : I had the winner yesterday afternoon. I hope that I have got the winner tomorrow as well. The status of the Minister for the Arts will be a matter for the new Prime Minister. As for appointments to the regional arts boards, I have had a number of constructive meetings with local authority representatives. Our wish is that there should be a strong local authority presence, nominated by local authorities, on the regional arts boards. The fact that one third of the places are reserved for local authorities is a sign of the importance that we attach to an arts funding partnership with the local authorities.
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Mr. Jessel : As those appointed to arts bodies can make good use of the excellent increase in the funding obtained by my right hon. and learned Friend, may I, too, congratulate not only him but the whole of the Government team at the Treasury, led by my right hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Major), the Chancellor of the Exchequer, because it is due partly to his support and firm encouragement that the arts are able to benefit in this way?
Mr. Mellor : I agree with my hon. Friend.
Mr. Fisher : On appointments, will the Minister confirm that every single regional arts association has written to him, protesting in the strongest possible terms against the proposal in his letter to the chairman of the Arts Council that he personally should appoint the chairs of the new regional arts boards? Does a single person or a single arts body support the Minister in this extraordinary centralist move? Will he withdraw it?
Mr. Mellor : The jury before which the proposals have to be judged is not composed of the regional associations as they are now constituted. We have to try to ensure, in accordance with various reports--including those of Committees of this House--that there is proper accountability for moneys that are spent. The money spent by the regional arts boards is overwhelmingly Treasury-obtained finance, although we also maintain a sense of regional ownership and the partnership with local authorities. The hon. Gentleman should await the deliberations of Tim Mason's committee, as I shall.
What is absolutely clear is that I will not shrink from establishing a framework that is, to my mind, consistent with ensuring that the bodies to be transferred--if, indeed, they are to be transferred ; most do not want to be under the existing arrangements--can be reassured that the new structures will be strong enough to bear the weight of the evaluations needed for them. That is the important point. It has nothing to do with amour-propre and who appoints whom ; it has to do with how we can best enhance the quality of artistic life in this country.
31. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will list all appointments made by him to arts bodies in the last year.
Mr. Mellor : Yes, Sir. I have arranged for the list to be published in the Official Report.
Mr. Corbyn : Does the Minister accept that much of this country's activity is ridiculously overcentralised and that it is time that we brought some democracy into arts appointments? Should not there be guaranteed places for local authority members appointed by their local authorities, rather than by the Minister? Does he further accept that the minority ethnic communities and user groups of arts centres and theatres should be able to appoint and elect people to arts authorities, rather than the Minister's sitting in splendid isolation in London deciding who should be the members of every regional arts authority?
Mr. Mellor : That prompts the large question, whether the quality of the people appointed in such a way would ultimately be any better. I am closer to the hon. Gentleman than he recognises. I have already proposed that one third of the membership of regional arts boards should be local authority representatives.
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Mr. Corbyn : Answer the question.Mr. Mellor : Hang on a minute. I am coming to that. I got the point the first time, although I do not always.
We are asking the local authority associations to find a way of proposing a mechanism so that they can determine
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who goes on to boards. I am anxious that there should be a proper partnership with local authorities, with the minimum amount of trouble and fuss.Following is the information :
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Institution |Position |Name of Appointee |Appointed
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advisory Committee on the |Member |Mr. R. Shone |30 July 1990
Government Art Collection
Arts Council |Members |Ms. B. Anderson |1 April 1990
|Mr. E. Hall |1 April 1990
|Miss C. Mulholland |1 April 1990
|Professor Sir Alan T. Peacock |1 April 1990
|Sir Brian N. R. Rix |1 April 1990
|Mr. A. Smith |1 April 1990
|Professor C. St. John Wilson |1 April 1990
British Film Institute |Chairman |Sir Richard S. Attenborough |1 October 1990
|Governors |Mrs. B. Anderson |1 October 1990
|Mr. T. Clarke |1 October 1990
|Ms. B. Ferris |1 October 1990
|Ms. P. Hoon |1 October 1990
|Mr. R. G. Hughes |1 October 1990
|Mr. A. Sapper |1 October 1990
British Library Board |Chairman |Commander L. M. Saunders |19 March 1990
|-Watson
|Members |The Lord Adrian |1 May 1990
|Professor A. J. Forty |1 April 1990
|Mr. D. A. E. R. Peake |1 July 1990
|Mr. R. E. Utiger |1 May 1990
British Museum |Trustee |Professor C. Renfrew |19 October 1990
Crafts Council |Members |Mr. A. H. Doggart |11 October 1990
|Mr. J. Jones |11 October 1990
|Mr. J. Newton |11 October 1990
|Professor D. Vaughan |11 October 1990
Greater Manchester Museum of |Chairman |Mr. A. Goldstone |27 January 1990
Science and Industry
Library and Information |Members |Mr. S. A. Brewer |1 January 1990
Services Council |Sir Charles Chadwyck-Healey Bart|1 January 1990
|Councillor C. Heinitz |1 January 1990
|Mr. C. J. Koster |1 January 1990
|Mr. D. Leabeater |1 January 1990
|Mrs. S. I. Martin |1 January 1990
National Museums and Galleries |Trustees |Professor G. J. Davies |1 January 1990
on Merseyside |Mr. J. Entwistle |1 April 1990
|Mr. A. Swerdlow |1 April 1990
|Lady Vaizey |1 April 1990
Reviewing Committee on the |Members |Mr. G. Jackson-Stops |1 August 1990
Export of Works of Art |Dr. J. I. R. Montagu |1 August 1990
|Mr. A. G. Reynolds |1 January 1990
South Bank Board
designate |Sir Brian Corby |11 June 1990
Theatres Trust |Chairman |Sir David L. Crouch |6 April 1990
|Trustees |Mr. I. Albery |6 April 1990
|Baroness Birk |6 April 1990
|Mr. G. L. Harbottle |6 April 1990
|Mr. R. M. Marshall |6 April 1990
Private Sponsorship
32. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement about the growth in private sponsorship in the arts since 1983-84.
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Mr. Mellor : Business sponsorship of the arts now stands at over £30 million a year, more than double the level in 1983-84. Much of this growth is due to the Government's highly successful business sponsorship incentive scheme.
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Mr. Marshall : Does my right hon. and learned Friend accept that that dramatic increase is welcomed by everyone connected with the arts? Does he further accept that many Conservative Members prefer privately funded to publicly funded generosity?Mr. Mellor : I hope that most of my hon. Friends--indeed, most Members of the House--believe that a balance must be struck. I appreciate that I will never convince at least one of my hon. Friends--I am more hopeful about others--that we want substantial private contributions, although I am firmly committed to a strong level of Government funding. I hope that that level will increase year on year, which is what we managed to achieve this year.
CIVIL SERVICE
Conditions of Service
39. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service when he last met civil service trade union leaders to discuss conditions of service.
The Minister of State, Privy Council Office (Mr. David Mellor) : I have not yet met the civil service trade union leaders ; I shall of course do so as and when necessary.
Mr. Skinner : If and when the Minister's friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, becomes Prime Minister and introduces his classless society, will he ensure that civil servants get an extra bonus for introducing Bills to carry through that classless society--Bills to abolish the honours list, the public schools, the House of Lords and the royal family, and retrospective legislation to get rid of all those knighthoods of the Tory Members who voted for the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine)?
Mr. Mellor : I shall ask my right hon. Friend to give that most careful consideration.
Mr. Bowis : I hope that my right hon. and learned Friend will find time to introduce a Bill to preserve the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner).
When my right hon. and learned Friend talks to the civil service will he make a point of discussing the opening hours of museums and galleries, especially at weekends, on bank holidays and in the evenings when families, particularly children, could visit them if they were open?
Mr. Mellor : That is a good point. Like my hon. Friend, I represent an inner London constituency where many people like to go to museums and galleries. Family times do not necessarily fit in with opening times. There is a difficult balance to be struck. Perhaps my hon. Friend would write to me in more detail about his opinions. I shall meet the directors of museums and galleries before Christmas and I should be interested in discussing his proposals with them.
Mr. Winnick : I am not as optimistic as my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) that if the Minister's favoured candidate becomes Prime Minister he will produce a classless society. Is there any opportunity of the people at GCHQ once again having the right to belong to a trade union if the Chancellor of the Exchequer becomes Prime Minister, or are we going to continue with the autocratic rule of the Thatcher years?
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Mr. Mellor : We are going to continue with the common sense settlement that was reached a few years ago. There is absolutely no reason to reopen the matter.
Agencies
40. Mr. David Martin : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what further progress has been made towards the creation of agencies.
Mr. Mellor : Since I last reported to the House, the Government have published the first annual review of "next steps" agencies and the Government's response to the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee's third and very helpful report on "next steps".
Mr. Martin : Will my right hon. and learned Friend confirm that he will continue the sensible policy of his predecessor in making a top priority in the creation of any new agencies improved services to the general public, particularly as it is the general public who fund them?
Mr. Mellor : Just because it is not well known, people should not overlook the significance of the "next steps" development, which I have reason to hope is a bipartisan policy and not a matter of political controversy. It affects organisational changes, not as ends in themselves, but towards better services to the public and better working conditions for people within the service, for whom the agency framework offers a much better quality of working life. We shall certainly proceed with that. We are determined to achieve our ambition of half the civil service being in "next steps" agencies by the end of 1991.
Dr. Marek : Whether the establishment of these agencies is a bipartisan policy depends on what the Government do. The Minister is certainly right that many things are not well known. It is important that standards of quality and service to the public are part of any agency programme. They must not fall below levels determined by the Minister. Can the Minister be helpful and make these things better known? Can he put them together and make all these standards of service available to the public in an effort to achieve greater awareness?
Mr. Mellor : That is a most helpful and constructive point. As the hon. Gentleman knows, the key basis for the agency relationship is that accountability to Ministers and Parliament is not lost. There is firm agreement between Ministers and the agencies about what should be achieved and about setting standards. The payment of performance-related pay to the heads of the agencies depends on their ability to deliver on those. That is of the essence and creates an incentive towards good and effective service, which may have been absent previously. I should be only too happy to consider the hon. Gentleman's remarks sympathetically. I am grateful to him for making it clear that this positive framework for change in the civil service is something in which he and his hon. Friends are happy to be involved.
Mr. Harry Greenway : Can my right hon. and learned Friend go one step further and say what financial and manpower savings, if any, are achieved by the agencification process rather than the current system?
Mr. Mellor : The principal aim is efficiency in the service to the public. In some circumstances that may yield
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savings ; in others, it would not. I shall be only too happy to let my hon. Friend know, from the records that we have, what the effect has been so far.Natural History Museum
41. Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on the latest representations he has received from the Institution of Professionals, Managers and Specialists about the staffing situation at the natural history museum.
Mr. Mellor : I have received a number of representations from the IPMS.
I understand that negotiations have continued between the natural history museum management and IPMS representatives, and I am glad to note that, on 20 November, an agreement was reached between them.
Mr. Dalyell : Should not the Minister transfer his affections from Chelsea football club and spend his Saturday afternoons up the road at the natural history museum? Will the IPMS be consulted about the disastrous proposal to reduce spending on library services at the museum by £80,000 to £100,000 in the coming year, given the loss that that will entail in terms of the serious scholarship that is so important to British science?
Mr. Mellor : When I watch a game I occasionally have the feeling that there are some stuffed animals on the pitch, although that was not the case yesterday.
I take seriously the hon. Gentleman's question about the natural history museum because I know that he is very interested in the matter. I have taken quite a lot of trouble to have meetings to discuss it. There will always be controversy about the balance to be struck between the resources applied to making the museum more accessible to the general public and those applied to keeping the collection accessible to scholars. I understand that. I can only say that, having had meetings with Sir Walter
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Bodmer, the director and others, I believe that the museum has genuinely and sincerely attempted to achieve that balance. Now that agreement has been reached, the right thing to do is to await the outcome.I hope that the hon. Gentleman will be reassured to hear that the museum's bids for running costs next year have been met in the settlement that I have been able to make available. I hope that that will help to maintain the balance and to ensure that the museum can continue to do its important work. I appreciate that, exceptionally, that also amounts to a great deal of commitment to research.
Action on Race
42. Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on the programme for "Action on Race".
Mr. Mellor : Departments and agencies are making good progress in drawing up and implementing their individual action plans under the programme for action on race which my predecessor introduced in May this year.
Mr. Hughes : Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that it is possible for selection and recruitment procedures to be based on what is suitable for white Anglo-Saxon Protestants but that, given our multi- cultural population, we must adapt the way in which we recruit and select people to ensure genuine fairness as between people of different races?
Mr. Mellor : There is no doubt that we can and should do a great deal more to recruit more representatives of ethnic minorities to the public service and, in particular, to ensure that members of those minorities can occupy the higher offices in that service. The typically well-considered and far-sighted plan announced by my predecessor is designed to achieve that, and I look forward to receiving my hon. Friend's detailed comments on it.
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