Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permanently devolving additional cultural spending to the North of England.
Matt Hancock
The Government is committed to extending cultural opportunities to as many people as possible. We believe in retaining a national strategic arts budget, administered by the Arts Council in England, to ensure arts funding can be targeted where it is most needed and that Government cultural investment should work in support of local cultural priorities.
The Great Exhibition of the North for example, is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the very best of northern art, culture and design. Not only will it showcase the innovation and imagination of the region but also give a real boost to local tourism and provide an important creative legacy. We are committing £5 million towards the exhibition itself, and a further £15 million into a legacy fund to attract further cultural investment in the Northern Powerhouse.
