asked Her Majesty's Government:Which of the national museums and galleries have tendered out exhibition or other ticketing services to private companies; and, where appropriate, whether they will identify the particular aspects of such services so tendered; and [HL3641]What are the private companies to whom national museums and galleries have tendered out exhibition or other ticketing services. [HL3642]

National museums and galleries have tendered out exhibition or other ticketing services in the last five years to private companies as follows:

	Company
British Museum	First Call Group, for tickets to temporary exhibitions;
Imperial War Museum	Ticketmaster, for provision of some of the ticketing services for the annual programme of air shows at Duxford, since January 1998. Such tickets may be purchased as part of combined offers with local hotels and the WAGN railway network;
National Gallery	Edwards and Edwards, First Call Group, Keith Prowse and FNAC Billetterie, for tickets to temporary exhibitions;
National Maritime Museum	First Call Group, for the Titanic exhibition 1995–96;
Royal Armouries	Ticketnet, for tickets to temporary exhibitions;
Tate Gallery	Box Office Spectacle du Monde, First Call Group, and FNAC Billetterie, for tickets to temporary exhibitions;
Victoria and Albert Museum	First Call Group, Ticketmaster. and Edwards and Edwards, for tickets to temporary exhibitions.

No national museums and galleries have contracted out ticketing services to private companies for general admission, except for the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, where they are operated by Royal Armouries (International) plc.