Examination of Witnesses (Questions 120
- 139)
MONDAY 19 MARCH 2001
MR ROBIN
YOUNG, KCB AND
DR ALAN
BORG, CBE
120. Is your performance tied to visitor numbers?
(Dr Borg) Visitor numbers is one of many factors.
121. We shall watch that. Can I ask about visitors
by social class. Do you have figures that will give an indication
of the social class of your visitors?
(Dr Borg) Yes we do. That is something that comes
out from our visitor surveys.
122. Is the social profile of your visitors
equal or similar to that of the population as a whole?
(Dr Borg) No, I do not think it is. We have a larger
number of the higher level visitors and only ten per cent from
the C2, Ds and Es.
123. How does that compare with comparable museums?
(Dr Borg) Very much the same.
124. So you have not made any successful special
effort to widen the social base?
(Dr Borg) When I say very much the same as other museums,
I think the proportion the V&A receives is probably better
than for C2 Ds and Es than most other museums.
125. So your previous answer is not right. It
is better than other comparable museums. You have figures to back
that up, have you?
(Dr Borg) We have our own figures.
126. Presumably if you are comparing yourselves
with others you have their figures as well?
(Dr Borg) We have details of some and not of others.
127. Of those you know how do you compare?
(Dr Borg) Better in some areas and less good in others.
128. I am restricting myself to the question
of social class and particularly those at the lower end. You are
either getting a better spread of those from those classes or
not. I do not want "better in some and worse in others".
I want to be clear whether or not ordinary, working class people
are coming to your museum rather than others.
(Dr Borg) I am sure we can find comparative figures—
129. I am not asking you to find them. I am
asking you if you know what the position is.
(Dr Borg) I do not have those figures to hand.
130. Do you know? It strikes me that this is
not an issue that you have bothered to consider much. Would that
be unfair?
(Dr Borg) Could you repeat that?
131. It strikes me that this is not an issue
you have bothered to consider much. Would that be unfair?
(Dr Borg) It would be unfair.
132. Why did you not know?
(Dr Borg) Because I am afraid I do not but it would
be unfair to suggest that it is not important.
133. Maybe we could get the figures, Chairman[7].
Can I ask in terms of school visits, do you have a substantial
number of school visits from local authority schools? Is the balance
of visits from local authority schools equivalent to the balance
of visits from those schools in the community as a whole?
(Dr Borg) We have a substantial number
of visits from local authority schools, many more than we have
from other forms of school.
134. That was not the question I asked, with
respect. I asked about the proportions. Was the proportion equivalent
to the proportion of these schools in the community as a whole?
(Dr Borg) We have some 45,000 children in groups coming
from schools each year[8].
135. That was not what I asked you either.
(Dr Borg) I am afraid I do not entirely understand
the question.
136. There are schools in the community as a
whole, there is a proportion that are private schools and a proportion
that are council schools. You have a lot of schools coming to
visit you some of which will be private schools and some council
schools. I am asking whether or not the proportion of council
schools you have visiting your Museum reflects the proportion
in the community.
(Dr Borg) We do not have the data available on what
sort of schools they are.
137. So you have not actually tried to make
sure that you are marketing the school visits, the educational
visits to those from the poorer end of the community?
(Dr Borg) Yes, we send information about our educational
programme very widely to all schools that request it.
138. But all schools who request it.
(Dr Borg) And also more broadly in London and the
South East obviously.
139. You do not measure the response of who
comes?
(Dr Borg) Not specifically, no.
7 Note: See Evidence, Appendix 2, page 17 (PAC
00-01/113). Back
8
Note: See Evidence, Appendix 1, page 16 (PAC 00-01/127). Back
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