Examination of Witnesses (Questions 180
- 181)
TUESDAY 19 DECEMBER 2006
OXFORD UNIVERSITY,
UNIVERSITY MUSEUMS
GROUP
Q180 Chairman: That is very helpful.
Dr O'Hanlon: May I come back?
Q181 Chairman: Very quickly because
one of my colleagues has to go.
Dr O'Hanlon: I am going to come
back to prevent too chilly a welcome for myself and my colleague
on arrival back in Oxford. It is important to remember the origins
of core funding. The origins of core funding for university museums
were a recognition of the fact that universities were primarily
concerned with teaching and research, not primarily concerned
with supporting internationally important heritage. Oxford University
museums receive about a million visitors a year, the vast majority
of those come from beyond the university obviously. Therefore,
it seems entirely reasonable that the University should expect
substantial external support to assist the stewardship of those
collections. As my colleague said, the University is posting the
best part of an £8 million deficit this year we understand.
I could certainly do with some more funding from the University,
but I must disassociate myself from the earlier criticism of the
level at which it supports its museums.
Chairman: Excellent. Hopefully that means
you will not get too cold a shoulder when you get back. Can I
thank the three of you very much.
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