Arts Council England takes on museums and libraries functions

Arts Council England will take over a number of the functions relating to museums and libraries, following the abolition of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) asked us to propose how we would incorporate important responsibilities for regional museums and libraries into our work with the arts, to create a more coherent cultural offer that benefits the cultural sector and the audiences it serves.

The principle responsibilities assumed are:

• the Renaissance in the Regions programme for regional museums, including completing the re-design of its content and operation
• regional museums improvement and development agenda, including the Accreditation Standard and the Designation Scheme and projects relating to the 2012 Cultural Olympiad
• libraries improvement and development agenda
• cultural property functions including, for example, export licensing, Government Indemnity, acceptance in lieu and security advice

We have been allocated a budget of around £46 million a year by DCMS to deliver these additional functions. The Renaissance in the Regions programme has been cut by 15 per cent to £43.4 million, in line with the overall cut to the museums sector made in the government's recent spending review.

You can find the full press release on our website.

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