asked the Minister for the Arts if he has any plans to change the status of any museums from local to national as a result of the abolition of the metropolitan county councils.
The Government's plans for the future funding of major museums and art galleries affected by the abolition of the metropolitan county councils were outlined in their reply of 31 July 1984 (a copy of which is in the Library of the House) to the first report of the Select Committee on Education, Science and the Arts, 1983–84 Session.A trustee body is to be established by Order in Council under section 46 of the Local Government Act 1985, to
| Arts Council of Great Britain | ||
| £000 | 1985–86 provision £000 | |
| A1 England | 84,492 | |
| (1) General Expenditure on the Arts | 80,096 | |
| (a) Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Limited; English National Opera; National Theatre Board; and Royal Shakespeare Theatre | 30,330 | |
| (b) Regional Arts Associations | 12,892 | |
| (c) Music, Opera and Dance | 15,828 | |
| (d) Drama | 14,579 | |
| (e) Art and Arts Films | 3,920 | |
| (f) Literature | 518 | |
| (g) Combined Arts | 1,229 | |
| (h) Training in the Arts and Education | 800 | |
| (2) Administration and Operational Expenditure | 4,395 | |
| Unallocated | — | |
| A2 Scotland | ||
| (1) General Expenditure on the Arts | 11,997 | |
| (a) Music, Opera and Dance | 6,548 | |
| (b) Drama | 2,517 | |
| (c) Art and Film | 1,062 | |
| (d) Literature | 515 | |
| (e) Arts Centres, Regional Projects and Festivals | 1,355 | |
| (2) Administration and Operational Expenditure | 743 | |
| Unallocated | — | |
| A3 Wales | 7,139 | |
| (1) General Expenditure on the Arts | 6,524 | |
| (a) Music, Opera and Dance | 2,651 | |
| (b) Drama | 1,728 | |
| (c) Art | 641 | |
| (d) Literature | 606 | |
| (e) Arts associations, Arts Centres and Regional Projects | 898 | |
| (2) Administration and Operational Expenditure | 615 | |
| Unallocated | — | |
| A4 Housing the Arts | 1,230 | |
| A5 South Bank | 400 | |
| Total | 106,000 | |
take over responsibility for the bulk of the museum and art gallery service hitherto maintained by Merseyside county council, and will be centrally funded directly by the Office of Arts and Libraries. The only other museum to be centrally funded directly by the OAL is the Greater Manchester museum of science and industry, already constituted as an independent charitable trust. The arrangements for other major museums and galleries will be as set out in the reply of 31 July 1984. Responsibility for institutions not listed therein will pass to the appropriate successor local authorities.