Arts Council England has advised that it has the information requested only for the years since its merger with the Regional Arts Boards in 2002-03. Before this date, the Regional Arts Boards maintained their records according to their own systems and requirements. As a result, any figures relating to periods before 2002-03 can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The figures for the period from 2002-03 are set out in the following table.
£ 2002-03 149,500 2003-04 150,500 2004-05 160,000 2005-06 160,000 2006-07 257,000 2007-08 257,000
Arts Council England advises that these figures represent costs separately identified in the funding agreement with the South Bank for particular storage facilities. The ongoing general costs of the collection are covered by the overall grant in aid allocation to the South Bank. The increase in 2006-07 was due to a significant expansion of these storage facilities.