Spending Review 2004 - Tessa Jowell Heralds 'Record Rise' For Museums And Galleries Funding In England
164/04
A culture funding package for the next three years which sees a record uplift for England's museums and galleries was unveiled today by Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.
The investment, which builds on large settlements made for the last two spending rounds – and efficiencies for the future - provides:
- Above inflation rises for the national museums' running costs, guaranteeing free admission for the next three years, and a 200 per cent hike in capital funding for the nationals to help ensure that museum buildings are in good shape to welcome the increase in visits,
- A 50 per cent increase in Culture Department funding for regional museums, to continue the roll out of the Renaissance in the Regions programme,
- An increase in spending power for the arts across the period, focusing more money on front line art – including £5m for Liverpool to help the city realise its European Capital of Culture plans in 2008, and
- Additional £12m funding for English Heritage capital work, enabling progress to be made on such projects as Kennilworth Castle and Apethorpe House.
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Welcoming the settlement for culture in a very tough spending round, Tessa Jowell said:
"Museums have been really successful over this period, with free admission to the nationals bringing a massive lift in visit numbers. But this puts a great strain on the museum buildings themselves. That is why I am placing a special emphasis on capital spending help for them this time.
"I am also honouring our commitment to continue the ground-breaking investment programme in regional museums and regional\national tie-ins. Taken together, these add up to a record increase for the sector across the three year period.
"The best of our cultural heritage – and its benefits - should be available to everyone, regardless of their background or where they live.
"Huge increases in investment in the arts since 1997 have changed the cultural landscape in England. We have already helped put regional theatre back on its feet and made real investment in future talent through our Creative Partnerships programme. All of this will continue, but I also want to take things further.
"The settlement I have secured for the arts will allow them to build on the huge investment we have put in since 1997. This, coupled with the reallocation of freed-up funds from existing programmes and efficiency savings, will allow additional grants to organisations to grow by at least 9 per cent by 2007-08. I am particularly pleased that I have been able to find one-off boosts of £5 million for the South Bank Centre in London and Liverpool's Capital of Culture programme"
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Tessa Jowell went on to spell out the financial context within which today's settlement had been made:
"I want to see as much public investment as possible focused on the actual activities we were set up to support – such as art, sport and museum collections, rather than the supporting cast. It is all the more important - when funding is tight - that we get the best possible value out of every public pound we spend. So DCMS bodies will make further efficiency savings, and be able to recycle every pound saved into performance and delivery.
She concluded:
"Today's settlement also sits alongside expected income to the Heritage Lottery Fund across the same period of around £480 million, with the same for Arts Council England. Local government spending on culture is also set to rise with an uplift above inflation for spending on 'cultural services'.
"All in all, arts and culture in this country have never before had access to so much public investment."
A summary table of allocations from the DCMS to cultural institutions over the next three years is available below.
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DCMS ALLOCATIONS from the 2004 Spending Review:
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