Olympics Funding Threat To Arts And Heritage

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 25th Jun 2007

Commenting on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee report published today, highlighting the impact of diversion of over £160 million from the arts and heritage to the London 2012 Olympic Games, Liberal Democrat Culture Spokesperson Paul Holmes MP said:

"The Committee is absolutely right to be concerned about the loss of funding to the arts and heritage to pay for spiralling Olympics costs.

This is a return to the boom and bust funding of the 1980s that the Labour Government promised would not happen again.

The Lottery is now going to pay £2.2 billion towards the Olympics. This is money that should be supporting community projects and good causes across the country.

This scale of funding cut will further reduce the ability of our cultural institutions to keep up with their competitors abroad. Already our museums and galleries have had to almost entirely cease acquisitions.

Inevitably this funding cut will affect the UK's attraction to tourists. The Cultural Olympiad and legacy of the Games will be threatened if these cuts go ahead.

There is a real danger that charges to the public will increase and our cultural institutions will no longer be accessible and affordable to all.

Tessa Jowell must now commit to no further raids on the Lottery to pay for Olympic cost increases."