asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Government propose to give special assistance to the National Gallery to enable it to purchase the painting "The Immaculate Conception" by Velasquez.

The Government have agreed that Parliament shall be asked to approve an advance to the gallery in the current year of £185,000 for this purpose, the advance to be set against the annual purchase grant for 1974–75. A Supplementary Estimate will be laid before Parliament in due course but meanwhile the money has been advanced from the Contingencies Fund.