The Stage

West End report sparks debate in Lords

Published Monday 22 March 2004 at 15:00 by Jeremy Austin

Authors of the report calling for £250 million to improve West End theatres claim the debate it sparked in the House of Lords this week has been “helpful and encouraging” despite the government’s negative response.

Entitled Act Now: Modernising London’s West End Theatres, the report compiled by the Theatres Trust and the Society of London Theatre was hailed as one of the most comprehensive surveys into the physical state of the West End. It warned that the government had to step in to help the commercial sector by providing some of that amount over the next 15 years. Otherwise some West End venues would eventually close.

Peers including Andrew Lloyd Webber, former executive director of the National Theatre Genista McIntosh and St Martin’s Theatre chairman David Verney - Lord Willoughby de Broke - discussed the report. They called on the state to come to the aid of the sector by either encouraging Arts Council England and English Heritage to provide Lottery funds or for there to be tax breaks.

However, Lord McIntosh of Haringey, speaking on behalf of the government, criticised the report for not providing enough information on how much will be spent on refurbishing and restoring theatres and further details on the financial aspects of the claims.

He said: “I must be a but discouraging about some of the sources of finance that have been raised tonight. We remain of the view that the government’s role should be to support the subsidised sector rather than the fully commercial theatre… The principle surely must be that we will not fund projects that would result in a private gain that is greater than public benefit.”

Lord McIntosh also dismissed the idea of a further levy on ticket sales to help fund the refurbishment and said that a requested tax break on VAT on ticket sales was a matter “for the Chancellor. However, as a result of the report and meetings with Cameron Mackintosh among others, he said the government was “committed to working closely with those who share our interest in ensuring a sustainable further for West End theatres”.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Tessa Jowell had agreed to chair a meeting, probably in April, attended by relevant parties from Whitehall, the local government, the mayor’s office and representatives of SOLT and the Theatres Trust.

Theatres Trust director Peter Longman said he was encouraged by the debate and by the number interested in taking part.

“We have always known tax solutions were going to be difficult but there is nothing in the lottery rules to stop commercially owned theatres benefiting from the arts council,” he said.

“It is disappointing to here him suggest that the government’s interest was only in the arts council subsidised sector. I think they are being cautious because they need to find the source of money and the logical source is for the arts council to be told to put a substantial part of its money into buildings rather than the derisory 10% it is at the moment.”

SOLT chief executive Richard Pulford said he hoped the forthcoming meeting would help identify where some of the money might come from and added: “I think it was extremely helpful and we were very much encouraged by what a lot of people said.”