15/07/2012 Sunday Politics East

In the East: Rain hasn't dampened spirits here at the Latitude

Festival in Suffolk, but we see dark clouds over the rest of our

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1799 seconds

arts scene after a revolution in Hello from the Latitude Festival in

Suffolk, I'm Etholle George. Later we will be looking at how MPs

from the East contributed to the Government's defeat on the reform

of the House of Lords. But first let's meet our guests for

this week, the MP for Suffolk Coastal, Therese Coffey for the

Conservatives, and Labour's Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich East,

who's here at Latitude for the book festival. And as you're both

members of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, let's start

with a quick word about the Army having to be brought in to provide

security at the Olympics. Therese Coffey, two weeks to go. It

is not very impressive. Should we have known about this before?

clearly G four S have mixed up. But luckily the Armley are helping with

security. So we will make sure that the games of the Cure and we can

sort out some of the issues. -- the army. -- are secured. What kind of

impression does it leave people? is deeply disappointing. We owe an

extreme -- huge debt to the people. I am told that you have been

offered tickets. When you go? am an Olympic ambassador or on

behalf of the Government, so I will be hosting different activities on

their behalf. But are you taking up the tickets? Absolutely. I am

representing the people of Britain. We will come back to you both

short-lived. Let us hope the Olympics go off without a hitch and

gain the praise which has been heaped upon the Cultural Olympiad.

The festival was raised in the House of Lords went Lord Lloyd

Webber had this to say. Arts funding is under unimaginable

strain. Creative industries have been cut. A recent example is the

Film Council. And some university music departments are having to

close. So I want to be clear - our bus creative potential has been

strangled without any clear funding strategy. -- vast creative

potential for. Arts funding is now More then half the arts

organisations here have failed to get government funding in the

recent shake-up. And last year's headline figure of more than �11

million will drop to �10.7 million by 2014/15 under the new system.

Deborah McGurran went to see what all the changes have meant in this

region. Luton's annual celebration it is a

must-see event. Britain is the capital of the carnival in the

world. Thousands turn up to -- turned up to enjoy the in 81012

excitement, but it suffered funding cuts in recent years. Art cannot be

sustained without investment. For every �1 invested in the arts, �7

is returned back to the balance sheets for the Exchequer. To beat

the blog, she painted dried flowers...

It dark cloud descending over the portrait trust, when they were told

that their core funding would be ended. It was one of those weird 48

hours when on day one you get appalling news, and on date two you

get a phone call at 9:30am from the Arts Council, saying, although we

do not think you can be in year round organisation, we really think

your core activity is brilliant and we want to see it continue. Boehner

have lottery funding for three years and are -- they now have

lottery-funded for three years. After three years, and I have not

got my crystal ball...! 40 miles away, all might look well at the

Colchester Mercury Theatre, but the future there will still be

challenging. We have got to be more entrepreneurial, so that the core

function of this theatre, serving the community is of Colchester and

Essex, is supported by new income streams.

Of all it is -- its grant is in real terms a cut, it is one of the

lucky ones. It will retain its core funding, because it made its list

for the national portfolio of arts organisations. Out of 60

applications from the east, on the 30 was a -- has selected. In April

this year, regular funding was replaced by a national port for

Neil organisations. There is also grants for the arts and national

strategic funding for things like touring programmes, as well as

renaissance in the regions for museums. But in the final touches

to the set for its latest production, Norwich Puppet Theatre

was one group which lost its core funding two years ago and had to

stop productions. There was lots of staff, reduction of hours, pay

freeze. We survive the first year, we wanted to start again. We

secured an 18 month grant which secured two new productions. You

cannot plan into the future, but you need to. By that is a sentiment

shared by a Norfolk dance, who have a 25 year history.

organisations to be strategic, but to be funded on a project by

project basis, is a huge problem. How do you pay for the office, for

the telephone, for the photocopier? It is very complicated and very

difficult. A working budget of �120,000 two

years ago had dwindled to �30,000, and with no discernible funding

stream outside of the local authorities, work like this faces

an uncertain future. And since that report was compiled,

Norwich Puppet Theatre have heard they've got another 18-month grant.

Joining us now is the festival founder and organiser, Melvin Benn.

I presume the minute this weekend is over, you start preparing for

next year, but if you had to live a hand-to-mouth, how difficult would

that be? It is really difficult. But is one of the things that the

funded organisations do suffer from, but short term outlook. If they get

a three-year grant or subsidy, they do not hear about the follow on and

so quite close and sell that termination is due. Therese Coffey,

we heard about an 18 month grant. If you had to thrive on an 18 month

grant, it would be tricky. So some organisations may feel it is hand

to mouth, but what we feel is a continuation of grants for

successful people, and we have seen that with the National Board for

Neil organisations... But not all of the organisations that were on

regular funding, are now. I do not think anyone is surprised that when

the Government decided to reduce public spending, arts would take

that share. But the lottery funds have been redirected towards arts,

and after the Olympics there will be a lot more. But 2015 per we be

if 4% real cut, but more money is going to the high quality diverse

arts of rings that our region enjoyed. -- enjoys a. Do people

have to accept that this is the way of things, and lived with this

uncertainty. One of the key things for arts are organisations is about

organisation -- audience development. You do not get an

audience of the night. Some organisations need to be

sustainable over a long period. -- overnight. You need a bit more

space than 18 months. What about, Melvin Benn, general policy? Lord

Lloyd Webber said there is no clear funding strategy for the long term.

I think that is an issue. We have discussed this a number of times.

The arts will not be immune from the general economic climate. In

the main, be cuts they have had they have administered pretty well.

But they do need to know what they are looking at long-term. We are a

civilised society - civilised societies need to put money into

their arts. And we need, as a structured society, as poor as we

think we are at this point, we are one of the wealthiest the site is a

rant. The Government wants to get more business involved, morph

philanthropists involved, like in America. -- mayor or philanthropic

trusts. Taxes here are lower in arm -- higher than in the States. This

is a pie-in-the-sky policy, isn't it? No, the Government has changed

its tax policy on charitable donations, and organisations have

developed -- benefited. On a organisations are not going to be

able to be able to raise that type of cash, but I still think there is

good quality funding for organisations. You will get more

people out Snape Maltings for a quiet taste performance --

performances than at the South Bank. Melvin Benn, what do you think of

this at that -- idea of philanthropists and business is

stepping up to the plate? I don't think it will happen. I do not

agree with this point. I do not think the Government have any clear

idea what they are doing with this. There is no tax incentive for be in

the arts, and in truth, we ought not to be relying on that. We ought

to be relying on public subsidy rather than private subsidy.

understand you are involved in an organisation in the dance. Do

people who want to get involved have to accept they will have to

leave their county and go elsewhere? No, dance East has been

remit to deliver a dance around the region. I hope what will happen is

that dance East will be able to look at some of the work that

Norfolk bands has been able to do, and support the organisation's --

the audiences. But it is disappointing to see locally based

schemes. I do not think some -- people will necessarily come for

artists and -- saved the smaller groups. Are you concerned about the

future of the arts, Melvin Benn? Yes. We are still in good shape,

and the cuts have not hip as as hard as people thought they would,

but we should still be afraid. knew concerned, Therese Coffey?

have a strong arts body across the country. Oh I think the future is

bright. Melvin Benn, thank you. Now to the vexed question of the

reform of the House of Lords. The Government has confirmed it's now

planning to introduce a timetable motion for the Lords Reform Bill in

the autumn, after its plans were thwarted earlier this week. Many

Tory backbenchers from our region were leading figures in the revolt,

and it doesn't sound like they will be easily persuaded. Here's Andrew

Sinclair. Reforming the House of Lords is in

big deal for its number of our MPs. The atmosphere here at Westminster

this week has been quite a febrile. It's is very important that we

modernise our democracy. This is not a priority for my constituents.

Of the 91 Conservatives who have appalled, 13 came from our region.

-- rebelled. The normally loyal Louise Mensch, the reliable Richard

Fuller, were among them. This is not the usual suspects of extremes

among the Tory party, this is much more to do with the fact we want

good Government. Most of the people in these -- this place would be

elected under 15 Gia terms, and they would represent a region

rather than a constituency. -- 15 year terms. It cannot have one

party sticking to it everything. Voting for -- because we have

committed to the Coalition agreement, and then allowing a

whole lot of rebels voting against the Prime Minister. He has made it

very clear he wants this reform. Let us now just make it happen.

This Bill is it dead duck without a referendum. It would die in a sad

and lonely death in the Lords unless there is a firm commitment

to a referendum at the time perhaps of the general election. But is a

strong message for many Conservative backbenchers to Number

Ten Downing Street. We need a referendum. This is the grand

entrance to the House of Lords. Downing Street says it has already

started talks with the rebels, and says it is holding them in good

faith, and accepts that some people will be a moveable. But it insists

that it wants the issue debated in Parliament before Christmas.

Therese Coffey, they could not be further apart. Where are you on

this? I was happy to see it Procedure Committee, in order to

have it detailed debate, but I believe ten days is not long enough.

-- it to proceed to committee. I hope people who feel strongly come

up with something we can get consensus. There is an appetite I

think for reform. Very few people only want to leave it just as it is.

Neighbours say they want reform, but they do not vote for it. --

Labour's say. They would say to you that there are a lot of other

issues concerning the public, and to see the Coalition squabbling

about this is not very edifying. where do you stand on this? I want

to see reform of the House of Lords, a would be happy to see a

referendum, but I think there are huge issues about welfare and the

cuts, but perhaps the public would rather we spend more time on for.

Therese Coffey what about all the other changes and the impact of

them on David Cameron? It seems to be the sum of changing his

leadership -- testing his leadership. -- summer off. I think

the strength of feeling was not quite so well known. It is coming

to the end of another long session of Parliament, and I think there

are a lot of MPs saying we do not want to spend a lot of time

debating this, but it is very important to our Coalition partners.

David Cameron has already said if we were elected it would be a third

term issue, but we have to work on the court -- on at this. I think

this shows that work relationships are not as strong as we would like.

Now it is time for our final political round-up before the

summer break. Now the Cambridge MP wants to make

it harder for developers to turn a former pops into homes or

supermarkets. You get very sterile communities. -- pubs. If it is milk

which takes your fancy, dairy farmers fight for a fair price.

This is the second price cut in three months. The European Union is

providing almost �4 million of funding to improve rail services at

Ely, but the Colchester MP could not persuade the Prime Minister to

pump more money into the armed forces. If history is not kind to

prime ministers who are perceived to have left a mark country without

a strong defence capability. least you can console yourself with

a glass of water. Now that the drought is over and a hosepipe ban

has been lifted across the region. Have a great summer.

Do you think measures like this would help pubs in the future, or

is it that the tax on beer, supermarket pricing and the smoking

ban have all done their bit to not help publicans? There are lots of

regions why pubs succeed or do not succeed, but I think they're

already measures around community are at their protection which means

we can save pubs. I think some would say that if the pub does not

work, there might be better used for the community than serving

drinks. Mandy bus macro Therese Coffey, are pubs even more

important in a rural communities? It certainly acts as a community

hub. I have been to 98 of my 108 pubs in my constituency. Bate have

closed in that time, but it is right, the Government has already

brought in legislation to protect community assets.

Ben Dumo so much for your time. Are you going to see some music now?