Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the diversity of artists exhibited in art galleries in receipt of funding from her Department.

DCMS sponsors a number of art galleries, and funds are provided to some art galleries through Arts Council England (ACE) to its National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs).

DCMS supports a vibrant and dynamic museums and galleries sector that remains committed to diverse public programming and collections. However, art galleries operate independently from the government, and decisions related to exhibitions are operational matters for the galleries.

ACE works with funded organisations to agree targets for how their governance, leadership, employees, participants, audiences and the work they make can reflect the diversity of their local communities.

Diversity of artists is captured under workforce in the ACE NPO annual survey and refers to employed and commissioned artists within that period. Diversity of artists whose art is bought directly from a supplier for display is not currently captured.