Public Accounts Committee
20 April 2026
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Public Accounts Committee House of Commons
00:00 - 00:44
Speaker 9
Welcome to the Public Accounts Committee on Monday, 04/20/2026. National museums and galleries are amongst the country's most visited free attractions and play a vital role in preserving national collections and supporting educational research. The 15 government sponsored museums and galleries, which we have are going to discuss today, received £484,000,000 in government grant in aid in twenty four, twenty five, six from the sponsoring department, DCMS. But these institutions are operated on an increasingly fragile financial environment. Since COVID-nineteen pandemic, there's been a real terms reduction in the level of government funding against the backdrop of rising energy and maintenance costs.
00:45 - 01:53
Speaker 1
In response, museums, galleries have worked hard to increase commercial activity and diversify income, with self generated income reaching 563,000,000 in twenty four five. However, these income streams can be vulnerable to wider economic condition and visitor numbers, which will not return to pre pandemic levels. So this session will be an opportunity to understand the current financial position and to examine whether the government's funding and oversight arrangements offer value for money for taxpayer while safeguarding institutions that are central to the nation's cultural life. I should just inform everybody that I have got to go to a ministerial meeting, so we'll be leaving the committee at 04:10, but my very able deputy Clive Betts will be taking over and we will have a break as is our normal habit of a very short break between the two chairs. So we're delighted to have with us this afternoon, obviously, the permanent secretary.
Welcome back again to the committee. Susannah, would you like to introduce yourself and just say when you took over the role, and would everybody else like to do the same please?
01:53 - 01:59
Speaker 2
Thank you chair. Yes. Susannah Storey. I'm the permanent secretary at DCMS. I took over this role in 2023.
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