An enquiry into the funding of the arts and heritage was announced
recently by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select
Committee. The Committee has stated that it wishes to investigate the
following:

• The impact of recent as well as future spending cuts from central
  and local government on the arts and heritage at national and local
  levels
• The measures that arts organisations can take to work more closely together
• What level of public subsidy for the arts and heritage is necessary
  and sustainable
• Whether the current system and structure of funding distribution is
  the right one
• The impact recent changes to the distribution of National Lottery
  funds will have on arts and heritage organisations
• Whether the policy guidelines for National Lottery funding need to be reviewed
• The impact of recent changes to bodies of the Department for
  Culture, Media and Sport. In particular the abolition of the UK Film
  Council and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
• Whether businesses and philanthropists can play a long-term role in
  funding arts at a national and local level
• Whether there need to be more government incentives to encourage
  private donations.

The Select Committee is interested in responses from people within the
sector by 2 September 2010. For more information, visit the Arts
Council’s website here:

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/news/inquiry-funding-arts-and-heritage-opens/