ADMISSION FREE
At a time when the Chancellor of the Exchequer has more money to dispose of than any of his predecessors, ever, the decision of the Government to press ahead with its hasty and silly proposal to insist that admission fees be charged for entrance to our national galleries and museums is mean. It is mean-spirited. It is mean-minded. It is totally unnecessary. It will benefit no one at all.
The money collected — estimated at a million pounds a year — is, in budgetary terms, quite insignificant. It is not even significant in terms of the budget of the relevant Ministry of Education. In terms of value for money, it would make sense for the Arts Council to pay this £1 million a year to the Ministry of Education out of its own grant: keeping the museums and galleries of the country free and open is educationally worth more, for example, than subsidising the Royal Opera House for the benefit of a clique of comfortably-off opera-lovers and balletomanes. It would make sense, too, for the British Council to pay this £1 million out of its own grant: for our great national collections are of incalculable benefit in promoting goodwill towards this country in those cultural fields which the British Council endeavours to cultivate. Mr Geoffrey Rippon has told us that a special grant of £6 million is to be made available to tell Europe about our culture: again, he could do no better than hand over the cash on a yearly basis to keep our galleries and museums free and open for our European visitors.
No one needs the money, nor does any department of state. The cash raised at the turnstiles of galleries and museums, many of which contain treasures given on condition that they were freely displayed, will, however, cause great hurt and damage. Instead of a pleasure, it will become an expensive burden to take a family around the British Museum, •the National Gallery, the Tate, the great Kensington museums, and the nationally or locally important provincial galleries and museums. There is neither common sense in the charges nor any scrap of statesmanship. No doubt a Treasury directive went out: all Departments must retrench; and when Lord Eccles, the Minister irresponsible for the Arts, was asked what he could do, all he, or his advisors, could dream up was this miserable and petty imposition which works to the benefit of none, and damages, directly and indirectly, everyone. With money more available than ever before, the scheme to compel the museums and galleries to charge admission fees is contrary to the public interest, and should be dropped forthwith. "Admission Free " should remain the proud proclamation of the British Museum and the Test.
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