Commons Select Committee launches a new inquiry into The Funding of the Arts and Heritage

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has launched a new inquiry and call for evidence into The Funding of the Arts and Heritage.

The Committee is inviting written submissions and requesting views on the following issues:

• What impact recent, and future, spending cuts from central and local Government will have on the arts and heritage at a national and local level;
• What arts organisations can do to work more closely together in order to reduce duplication of effort and to make economies of scale;
• What level of public subsidy for the arts and heritage is necessary and sustainable;
• Whether the current system, and structure, of funding distribution is the right one;
• What impact recent changes to the distribution of National Lottery funds will have on arts and heritage organisations;
• Whether the policy guidelines for National Lottery funding need to be reviewed;
• The impact of recent changes to DCMS arm’s-length bodies - in particular the abolition of the UK Film Council and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council;
• Whether businesses and philanthropists can play a long-term role in funding arts at a national and local level;
• Whether there need to be more Government incentives to encourage private donations.

The Committee will also examine other areas of interest that are raised during the course of its inquiry.

A copy of the submission should be sent by e-mail to cmsev@parliament.uk and have ‘Funding of the Arts and Heritage’ in the subject line. Submissions should be received by Thursday 2nd September 2010.

For more details, including guidance on submitting written evidence, visit the House of Commons website.