To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Government expenditure there was for (a) the arts and (b) sport in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 2005-06; and what the percentage change was of each figure in real terms over that period. (106381)

The Department’s accounts show£195 million spent on the arts and £52 million spent on sport in 1996-97, and £410 million spent on the arts and £117 million spent on sport in 2005-06.

In real terms, this represented a 68.3 per cent. increase in spending on the arts and 81.0 per cent. in spending on sport during the period.