Funding Of The Arts

EDM number 36 in 1994-95, proposed by Alan Meale on 17/11/1994.

That this House believes that the Arts are one of the United Kingdom's greatest national assets, an arena of life which wins for Britain the respect and acclaim of the rest of the world; further sees that despite that recession artistic endeavour is flourishing with audience figures dramatically recovering; sees the Arts of the nation as footprints in time which enrich the lives of those who live or simply experience them; believes that they are important financial value in themselves as they provide, from a modest subsidy of less than half a percent of public spending, seedcorn investment for a whole range of industries which create directly the employment of over 500,000 people and generate immense sums of cash for the Treasury; recognises that the Arts are now Britain's fourth highest earners of foreign exchange; and thinks it folly that the Government seems intent on imposing cuts in funding for this important and valuable sector.

This motion has been signed by a total of 74 MPs.