To ask the Minister for the Arts what steps he is taking to encourage the development of museums and galleries in rural areas.

In my announcement of 16 November I increased the allocation to the Museums and Galleries Commission which supports the network of area museum councils. The area museum councils in turn assist with the development of local museums and galleries, including those in rural areas. The area museums service for south-eastern England, for example, is funding countywide consultancy groups, including one in Cambridgeshire, to improve local museum standards.