Funding Cuts Devastating For Cultural Olympiad

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 19th Jan 2007

Commenting on the flat cash settlement for the Arts in the forthcoming comprehensive spending review that Labour MPs are now discussing in Westminster, Liberal Democrat Arts and Culture Spokesman Paul Holmes MP said: "This is a return to the boom and bust funding of the 1980s that the Labour Government promised would not happen again.

"A flat cash settlement means a cut in funding in real terms of 3% a year. This will reverse the progress that has been made in the Arts over the last decade.

"This scale of funding cut will further reduce the ability of our top 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 will fail 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 should be fighting for funding for the cultural sector, not giving in to Gordon Brown's demands as she has over the damaging real terms cut to the BBC license fee."