Museums

Lord Shutt of Greetland Excerpts

Wednesday 12th June 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, the Government are absolutely clear in the grant-in-aid arrangements that the policy of free admission should continue. Having looked at the increase in visitor numbers, and at the number of children who are visiting museums, I think that free admission is an important feature of our national and regional museum life. I am very conscious of what the noble Lord said about the Imperial War Museum. With the commemoration of the First World War and the investment that is going into the Imperial War Museum, and certainly from the meetings that I have had with officials there, I know that a lot of very exciting work is going to unfold at the Imperial War Museum as well as at Duxford. There is important work for the Imperial War Museum to show.

[Lord Shutt of Greetland]

My Lords, the clue is in the titles—the National Media Museum, the National Railway Museum, the National Coal Mining Museum for England. I have had a look at the names of two dozen people who are trustees of the Science Museum Group or members of the Science Museum advisory board and—would you believe it?—22 of those 24 people are based either in London or in Cambridge.

[Noble Lords]

Oh!

[Lord Shutt of Greetland]

Does the Minister have any faith that this group of people will have balance when it comes to looking at those national museums that are based in the regions?

[Noble Lords]

Hear, hear!