asked the Minister for the Arts what steps he has taken in the past year to widen audiences attending arts centres.

I have discussed the widening of the audience for the arts with many people since taking office, and have been impressed by the range of activity at the arts centres I have visited. The Arts Council include in its criteria for the allocation of grant the commitment of an arts body to the attraction of wider audiences. My new arts marketing scheme will, I hope, encourage many arts bodies to produce imaginative ideas for marketing themselves.