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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of changes in grant-in-aid funding since 2014–15 on (1) free public admission, (2) opening hours, (3) the number and range of temporary exhibitions, and (4) educational and outreach programmes, at national museums in England; and whether any such museums have reduced or restricted services as a direct consequence of funding pressures.

DCMS monitors the overall financial sustainability of the national museums but we have not undertaken an assessment of these specific issues. All national museums have provided free public access to their permanent collections since 2001. National museums are operationally independent of government, with decisions about opening hours, exhibitions, and educational and outreach programming the responsibility of each body’s board of trustees.