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Mr. Battle
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) measures she has taken and (b) resources she has committed to promote the (i) writing, (ii) reading and (iii) archiving of poetry in each of the last five years. [116021]
Dr. Howells
This is essentially a matter for Arts Council England, which funds a range of organisations concerned with the development of poetry, with a particular emphasis on readers and writers. The following table supplied by the Arts Council contains the information requested by my hon. Friend. These figures refer only to funding from the national office and do not include any regional funding or lottery spend.
£ | |
1997–98 | |
Total literature spend (grant in aid) | 1,426,906 |
Total poetry spend1 | 785,350 |
1998–99 | |
Total literature spend (grant in aid) | 1,551,016 |
Total poetry spend | 1,102,266 |
£ | |
1999–2000 | |
Total literature spend (grant in aid) | 1,706,889 |
Total poetry spend | 998,790 |
2000–01 | |
Total literature spend (grant in aid) | 1,498,034 |
Total poetry spend | 1,008,900 |
2001–02 | |
Total literature spend (grant in aid) | 1,468,645 |
Total poetry spend | 1,068,790 |
1 These figures are for organisations that focus entirely on poetry and also for organisations that have an element of poetry. They do not include monies spent by the old Regional Arts Boards. |