APPENDIX 2
Supplementary memorandum submitted by
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (PAC 00-01/171)
1. Policy on admission to DCMS-sponsored
museums that charge has been to move progressively to free admission.
2. Free admission for children and the over
60s was introduced in April 1999 and April 2000 respectively at
most DCMS-sponsored charging museums and at the Royal Armouries
in Leeds from 1 April 2001.
3. Pending removal of the VAT obstacle to
free access at charging museums (museums that went free would
lose their ability to recover input VAT) the policy was to reduce
all admission charges to £1 at DCMS-sponsored museums from
1 September 2001. This is the position reflected at paragraph
132 of the transcript.
4. On 7 March 2001 the Chancellor announced
that all Government-sponsored museums that offer free admission
will be able to recover their input VAT, thus removing the last
major remaining obstacle to the achievement of free access.
5. In April 2001 the Secretary of State
for Culture, Media and Sport wrote to all the charging museums
that he sponsors, including the Royal Armouries, offering additional
funding to enable them to move to full free access from 1 December
2001 should their trustees wish.
Department Culture Media and Sport
1 May 2001
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