Conclusions and recommendations
1. We
recommend that the UK takes the important opportunity afforded
by its forthcoming presidency of the European Union to promote
international co-operation in cultural development. (Paragraph
9)
2. We recommend that
the Government commissions research aimed at providing an accurate
assessment of the primary, secondary and retail art markets. Only
by such research can government support for the visual arts be
rooted in evidence and be of a scale that is proportionate to
the economic and wider societal benefits brought by art. (Paragraph
21)
3. We recommend that
the DCMS actively pursues the development of best practice guidelines
for the art market. (Paragraph 32)
4. Auction houses
represent an important sector of the art market in the UK. However,
some of the relevant legislation dates back to 1845. We believe
a review is overdue. (Paragraph 34)
5. We recommend that
Arts Council England promotes the widespread adoption by galleries,
and other outlets, of practices modelled either on the Own Art
scheme rules, or on alternatives offering similar protection for
both artist and art market professional. (Paragraph 36)
6. We recommend that
the Government establish a forum of interested individuals, including
artists, dealers and auction houses, to work towards identifying
key areas of agreed best practice in contractual relationships
between artists and art market professionals. Compliance with
the code of practice that emerges should be a prerequisite for
the receipt of public funds. (Paragraph 38)
7. We recommend the
further development of an online portal offering business advice
to artists, supporting networking opportunities, and providing
access to the arts more generally. (Paragraph 39)
8. The Government
should renew its efforts to achieve universal adoption of droit
de suite, through all available international channels. (Paragraph
45)
9. We recommend that
the Government closely monitors the impact droit de suite
has on the market. The Government should publish its conclusions
in time to inform the first review of the Directive's impact which,
according to its own provisions, must take place by 1 January
2009. (Paragraph 47)
10. We recommend a
system of compulsory collective administration for artists' resale
right. This is the preferred model throughout the European Union.
It is relatively efficient and better secures compliance, seeing
that money reaches the artist. (Paragraph 52)
11. We are not intrinsically
opposed to the introduction of the artists' resale right into
UK law, though we do believe it should not benefit solely the
richest artists. We recommend that the Government lowers the threshold
at which the resale right applies from 3,000 to 1,000 euros. (Paragraph
55)
12. We recommend that
the Government apply a royalty rate of 5% to the price band up
to 50,000 euros. (Paragraph 57)
13. We recommend an
extension of the Gift Aid arrangements, so that donations of significant
art works to public collections can be offset against income tax.
(Paragraph 61)
14. We note that the
DCMS has implemented the Goodison recommendations in so far as
they apply to the Department. We look to the Treasury to follow
suit. Where it does not do so, justification, if any, for the
corresponding decisions should be published. (Paragraph 62)
15. We urge the Government
to build on Creative Partnerships and actively to encourage the
provision of artists' space in extended schools. (Paragraph 64)
16. We strongly support
the four Arts Councils having continued status as distributors
of National Lottery funds. (Paragraph 70)
17. The Department
for Culture, Media and Sport must view the active promotion and
sponsorship of the arts as one of its primary roles. This is particularly
important in view of the large number of government departments
with some claim to responsibility for different locations in the
world of art. Regrettably, in Government, the Department seldom
punches, if it punches at all, at a weight commensurate with the
centrality of the arts to our national life. (Paragraph 71)
18. It is time for
Government to commit itself to a flourishing arts scene. And nowhere
will such a commitment be more visible than in the visual arts.
(Paragraph 72)
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