UK Culture White Paper
Martin Bailey, UK government publishes its first Culture White Paper in half a century, The Arts Newspaper, 23 March 2016
Key proposals from culture minister Ed Vaizey’s statement include widening access to the arts and a protection fund for cultural heritage in combat zones
Ed Vaizey, the UK culture minister, has published his White Paper. This is the first such governmental policy statement on culture since that of Jennie Lee, the Labour arts minister, in 1965.
The Culture White Paper announces the establishment of detailed reviews of museums, arts and heritage. The museums review, due to be completed by summer 2017, will cover local, regional and national museums, with a special focus on digital services and collection storage. There will also be reviews of Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
On museums, the government is confirming its promise of £150m to the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and Science Museum to help them replace their storage facilities at Blythe House, in west London. The new system of tax relief for exhibitions should come into effect in April 2017.