Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the cultural and heritage contribution of the Societies of Burlington House; and if he will make a statement.

Government recognises the value of Learned Societies and the cultural and heritage contributions of their collections which are housed at New Burlington House.

Government is working with the Learned Societies to enable them to remain at the site. The current rent agreement was put in place following a legal decision by the High Court in 2005 and subsequent arbitration in 2015. The Learned Societies agreed to the current rent agreements which allow them to pay discounted rents over the next 80 years.

Both DCMS and MHCLG understand the societies’ position and are working closely together to explore whether there is a solution that can deliver public value and help the Society to remain in situ at New Burlington House