ARTS FUNDING THREAT DESPITE PRIVATE SUPPORT INCREASE

Commenting on the figures released today by Arts & Business showing that private support for the Arts has grown to £530 million, Liberal Democrat Arts and Culture Spokesman, Paul Holmes MP, said: "The level of individual giving to the arts is remarkable. The £262.4 million donated last year shows the public is ever more enthusiastic about the arts, and especially heritage.

The growth rate of private support for the arts has been twice the rate of inflation, and reflects thirty years of excellent work by Arts & Business in generating sustained support for the arts.

However, the fall in contributions from business is concerning. This demonstrates that business cannot be expected to plug the gap created by the expected cuts in funding to the arts in the forthcoming comprehensive spending review.

Tessa Jowell should take note of the falling contributions from business and stop siphoning funds away from arts and heritage to the Olympics on the assumption that business will pay for the shortfall. Otherwise there is a danger that the success of recent years will be undermined."