Museums and Galleries

Mr. Don Foster
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the baseline is for the target for increasing the number of people accessing museums and galleries collections from priority groups.

Mr. Caborn
My Department published the final baseline data on 14 December 2006. The baseline figures for the proportion attending a museum or gallery during the previous 12 months have been set at the following for the priority group population:

-------------------------------------------
|                         |Baseline figure|
-------------------------------------------
|Black and minority ethnic|35             |
-------------------------------------------
|Limiting disability      |32             |
-------------------------------------------
|Lower socio-economic     |28             |
-------------------------------------------


The Department’s PSA 3 target for museums and galleries is, by 2008, to increase each of the priority group baseline estimates by two percentage points.

Mr. Don Foster
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made on increasing the number of people accessing museums and galleries collections from priority groups; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Caborn
Final baseline data on the proportion of visitors from priority groups to the historic environment were published on 14 December 2006. Progress on increasing these proportions will be monitored regularly with final assessment of achievement available in late 2008. My Department continues to work closely with our sponsored museums, the MLA and other organisations in the museum and gallery sector on a broad range of policies and programmes to increase participation by the priority groups.