Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Oral Answers to Questions

Graham Stuart Excerpts
Thursday 4th June 2015

(8 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Vaizey of Didcot Portrait Mr Vaizey
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The hon. Lady’s point is well made to Labour councils up and down the country, which is that they must maintain their investment in culture instead of withdrawing it. It is a partnership, which is why the Chancellor of the Exchequer was pleased to give the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull £1.5 million to help it host the Turner prize, but that is accompanied by local authority investment of £3 million. The message to all those Labour councils is that they must support their local arts organisations—particularly those of the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant).

Graham Stuart Portrait Graham Stuart (Beverley and Holderness) (Con)
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It is indeed good news that the Turner prize will be presented in Hull. It is not always popular on both sides of the House, but what more can the Government do to encourage other such events to support Hull as the city of culture, and to ensure that Hull benefits from that in the long term?

Lord Vaizey of Didcot Portrait Mr Vaizey
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I know that my hon. Friend, who is standing to be the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, is an aficionado of the Turner prize, as well as many other cultural events. He will know—I do not need to tell him—that Derry/Londonderry benefited from a huge range of events, from the BBC and other cultural organisations, and I expect Hull to benefit in the same way.