:01:17. > :01:21.In the East: Rain hasn't dampened spirits here at the Latitude
:01:21. > :01:31.Festival in Suffolk, but we see dark clouds over the rest of our
:01:31. > :01:31.
:01:31. > :31:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1799 seconds
:31:30. > :31:34.arts scene after a revolution in Hello from the Latitude Festival in
:31:34. > :31:37.Suffolk, I'm Etholle George. Later we will be looking at how MPs
:31:37. > :31:42.from the East contributed to the Government's defeat on the reform
:31:42. > :31:44.of the House of Lords. But first let's meet our guests for
:31:44. > :31:47.this week, the MP for Suffolk Coastal, Therese Coffey for the
:31:47. > :31:53.Conservatives, and Labour's Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich East,
:31:54. > :31:56.who's here at Latitude for the book festival. And as you're both
:31:56. > :32:00.members of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, let's start
:32:00. > :32:10.with a quick word about the Army having to be brought in to provide
:32:10. > :32:13.
:32:13. > :32:19.security at the Olympics. Therese Coffey, two weeks to go. It
:32:19. > :32:28.is not very impressive. Should we have known about this before?
:32:28. > :32:33.clearly G four S have mixed up. But luckily the Armley are helping with
:32:33. > :32:40.security. So we will make sure that the games of the Cure and we can
:32:40. > :32:48.sort out some of the issues. -- the army. -- are secured. What kind of
:32:48. > :32:57.impression does it leave people? is deeply disappointing. We owe an
:32:57. > :33:03.extreme -- huge debt to the people. I am told that you have been
:33:03. > :33:07.offered tickets. When you go? am an Olympic ambassador or on
:33:07. > :33:15.behalf of the Government, so I will be hosting different activities on
:33:15. > :33:19.their behalf. But are you taking up the tickets? Absolutely. I am
:33:19. > :33:24.representing the people of Britain. We will come back to you both
:33:24. > :33:27.short-lived. Let us hope the Olympics go off without a hitch and
:33:27. > :33:32.gain the praise which has been heaped upon the Cultural Olympiad.
:33:32. > :33:37.The festival was raised in the House of Lords went Lord Lloyd
:33:37. > :33:44.Webber had this to say. Arts funding is under unimaginable
:33:44. > :33:48.strain. Creative industries have been cut. A recent example is the
:33:48. > :33:58.Film Council. And some university music departments are having to
:33:58. > :34:01.
:34:01. > :34:07.close. So I want to be clear - our bus creative potential has been
:34:07. > :34:16.strangled without any clear funding strategy. -- vast creative
:34:16. > :34:19.potential for. Arts funding is now More then half the arts
:34:19. > :34:22.organisations here have failed to get government funding in the
:34:22. > :34:25.recent shake-up. And last year's headline figure of more than �11
:34:25. > :34:28.million will drop to �10.7 million by 2014/15 under the new system.
:34:28. > :34:37.Deborah McGurran went to see what all the changes have meant in this
:34:37. > :34:44.region. Luton's annual celebration it is a
:34:44. > :34:51.must-see event. Britain is the capital of the carnival in the
:34:51. > :34:56.world. Thousands turn up to -- turned up to enjoy the in 81012
:34:56. > :35:02.excitement, but it suffered funding cuts in recent years. Art cannot be
:35:02. > :35:09.sustained without investment. For every �1 invested in the arts, �7
:35:09. > :35:19.is returned back to the balance sheets for the Exchequer. To beat
:35:19. > :35:20.
:35:20. > :35:26.the blog, she painted dried flowers...
:35:26. > :35:30.It dark cloud descending over the portrait trust, when they were told
:35:30. > :35:36.that their core funding would be ended. It was one of those weird 48
:35:37. > :35:43.hours when on day one you get appalling news, and on date two you
:35:43. > :35:47.get a phone call at 9:30am from the Arts Council, saying, although we
:35:47. > :35:52.do not think you can be in year round organisation, we really think
:35:52. > :35:58.your core activity is brilliant and we want to see it continue. Boehner
:35:58. > :36:02.have lottery funding for three years and are -- they now have
:36:02. > :36:10.lottery-funded for three years. After three years, and I have not
:36:10. > :36:14.got my crystal ball...! 40 miles away, all might look well at the
:36:14. > :36:20.Colchester Mercury Theatre, but the future there will still be
:36:20. > :36:24.challenging. We have got to be more entrepreneurial, so that the core
:36:24. > :36:31.function of this theatre, serving the community is of Colchester and
:36:31. > :36:38.Essex, is supported by new income streams.
:36:38. > :36:44.Of all it is -- its grant is in real terms a cut, it is one of the
:36:44. > :36:47.lucky ones. It will retain its core funding, because it made its list
:36:47. > :36:52.for the national portfolio of arts organisations. Out of 60
:36:52. > :36:57.applications from the east, on the 30 was a -- has selected. In April
:36:57. > :37:01.this year, regular funding was replaced by a national port for
:37:01. > :37:05.Neil organisations. There is also grants for the arts and national
:37:05. > :37:08.strategic funding for things like touring programmes, as well as
:37:08. > :37:12.renaissance in the regions for museums. But in the final touches
:37:12. > :37:16.to the set for its latest production, Norwich Puppet Theatre
:37:16. > :37:22.was one group which lost its core funding two years ago and had to
:37:22. > :37:31.stop productions. There was lots of staff, reduction of hours, pay
:37:31. > :37:35.freeze. We survive the first year, we wanted to start again. We
:37:35. > :37:40.secured an 18 month grant which secured two new productions. You
:37:40. > :37:47.cannot plan into the future, but you need to. By that is a sentiment
:37:47. > :37:50.shared by a Norfolk dance, who have a 25 year history.
:37:50. > :37:55.organisations to be strategic, but to be funded on a project by
:37:55. > :38:00.project basis, is a huge problem. How do you pay for the office, for
:38:00. > :38:08.the telephone, for the photocopier? It is very complicated and very
:38:08. > :38:12.difficult. A working budget of �120,000 two
:38:12. > :38:16.years ago had dwindled to �30,000, and with no discernible funding
:38:16. > :38:21.stream outside of the local authorities, work like this faces
:38:21. > :38:24.an uncertain future. And since that report was compiled,
:38:24. > :38:34.Norwich Puppet Theatre have heard they've got another 18-month grant.
:38:34. > :38:36.
:38:36. > :38:40.Joining us now is the festival founder and organiser, Melvin Benn.
:38:40. > :38:45.I presume the minute this weekend is over, you start preparing for
:38:45. > :38:51.next year, but if you had to live a hand-to-mouth, how difficult would
:38:51. > :38:59.that be? It is really difficult. But is one of the things that the
:38:59. > :39:04.funded organisations do suffer from, but short term outlook. If they get
:39:04. > :39:11.a three-year grant or subsidy, they do not hear about the follow on and
:39:11. > :39:16.so quite close and sell that termination is due. Therese Coffey,
:39:16. > :39:21.we heard about an 18 month grant. If you had to thrive on an 18 month
:39:21. > :39:27.grant, it would be tricky. So some organisations may feel it is hand
:39:27. > :39:30.to mouth, but what we feel is a continuation of grants for
:39:30. > :39:38.successful people, and we have seen that with the National Board for
:39:38. > :39:44.Neil organisations... But not all of the organisations that were on
:39:44. > :39:47.regular funding, are now. I do not think anyone is surprised that when
:39:47. > :39:52.the Government decided to reduce public spending, arts would take
:39:52. > :39:56.that share. But the lottery funds have been redirected towards arts,
:39:57. > :40:02.and after the Olympics there will be a lot more. But 2015 per we be
:40:02. > :40:08.if 4% real cut, but more money is going to the high quality diverse
:40:08. > :40:12.arts of rings that our region enjoyed. -- enjoys a. Do people
:40:12. > :40:17.have to accept that this is the way of things, and lived with this
:40:18. > :40:21.uncertainty. One of the key things for arts are organisations is about
:40:21. > :40:27.organisation -- audience development. You do not get an
:40:27. > :40:34.audience of the night. Some organisations need to be
:40:34. > :40:40.sustainable over a long period. -- overnight. You need a bit more
:40:40. > :40:45.space than 18 months. What about, Melvin Benn, general policy? Lord
:40:45. > :40:53.Lloyd Webber said there is no clear funding strategy for the long term.
:40:53. > :40:57.I think that is an issue. We have discussed this a number of times.
:40:57. > :41:04.The arts will not be immune from the general economic climate. In
:41:04. > :41:09.the main, be cuts they have had they have administered pretty well.
:41:09. > :41:13.But they do need to know what they are looking at long-term. We are a
:41:13. > :41:18.civilised society - civilised societies need to put money into
:41:18. > :41:23.their arts. And we need, as a structured society, as poor as we
:41:23. > :41:29.think we are at this point, we are one of the wealthiest the site is a
:41:29. > :41:34.rant. The Government wants to get more business involved, morph
:41:34. > :41:42.philanthropists involved, like in America. -- mayor or philanthropic
:41:42. > :41:47.trusts. Taxes here are lower in arm -- higher than in the States. This
:41:47. > :41:54.is a pie-in-the-sky policy, isn't it? No, the Government has changed
:41:54. > :42:00.its tax policy on charitable donations, and organisations have
:42:00. > :42:06.developed -- benefited. On a organisations are not going to be
:42:06. > :42:11.able to be able to raise that type of cash, but I still think there is
:42:11. > :42:15.good quality funding for organisations. You will get more
:42:15. > :42:22.people out Snape Maltings for a quiet taste performance --
:42:22. > :42:25.performances than at the South Bank. Melvin Benn, what do you think of
:42:25. > :42:29.this at that -- idea of philanthropists and business is
:42:29. > :42:34.stepping up to the plate? I don't think it will happen. I do not
:42:34. > :42:39.agree with this point. I do not think the Government have any clear
:42:39. > :42:44.idea what they are doing with this. There is no tax incentive for be in
:42:44. > :42:49.the arts, and in truth, we ought not to be relying on that. We ought
:42:49. > :42:59.to be relying on public subsidy rather than private subsidy.
:42:59. > :43:03.
:43:03. > :43:06.understand you are involved in an organisation in the dance. Do
:43:06. > :43:12.people who want to get involved have to accept they will have to
:43:13. > :43:17.leave their county and go elsewhere? No, dance East has been
:43:17. > :43:20.remit to deliver a dance around the region. I hope what will happen is
:43:20. > :43:26.that dance East will be able to look at some of the work that
:43:26. > :43:30.Norfolk bands has been able to do, and support the organisation's --
:43:30. > :43:36.the audiences. But it is disappointing to see locally based
:43:36. > :43:39.schemes. I do not think some -- people will necessarily come for
:43:39. > :43:45.artists and -- saved the smaller groups. Are you concerned about the
:43:45. > :43:53.future of the arts, Melvin Benn? Yes. We are still in good shape,
:43:53. > :43:59.and the cuts have not hip as as hard as people thought they would,
:43:59. > :44:08.but we should still be afraid. knew concerned, Therese Coffey?
:44:08. > :44:15.have a strong arts body across the country. Oh I think the future is
:44:15. > :44:18.bright. Melvin Benn, thank you. Now to the vexed question of the
:44:18. > :44:21.reform of the House of Lords. The Government has confirmed it's now
:44:21. > :44:23.planning to introduce a timetable motion for the Lords Reform Bill in
:44:23. > :44:26.the autumn, after its plans were thwarted earlier this week. Many
:44:26. > :44:29.Tory backbenchers from our region were leading figures in the revolt,
:44:29. > :44:39.and it doesn't sound like they will be easily persuaded. Here's Andrew
:44:39. > :44:41.
:44:41. > :44:45.Sinclair. Reforming the House of Lords is in
:44:45. > :44:54.big deal for its number of our MPs. The atmosphere here at Westminster
:44:54. > :45:01.this week has been quite a febrile. It's is very important that we
:45:01. > :45:07.modernise our democracy. This is not a priority for my constituents.
:45:07. > :45:14.Of the 91 Conservatives who have appalled, 13 came from our region.
:45:14. > :45:19.-- rebelled. The normally loyal Louise Mensch, the reliable Richard
:45:19. > :45:24.Fuller, were among them. This is not the usual suspects of extremes
:45:24. > :45:30.among the Tory party, this is much more to do with the fact we want
:45:30. > :45:34.good Government. Most of the people in these -- this place would be
:45:34. > :45:40.elected under 15 Gia terms, and they would represent a region
:45:40. > :45:47.rather than a constituency. -- 15 year terms. It cannot have one
:45:47. > :45:50.party sticking to it everything. Voting for -- because we have
:45:50. > :45:54.committed to the Coalition agreement, and then allowing a
:45:54. > :46:00.whole lot of rebels voting against the Prime Minister. He has made it
:46:00. > :46:08.very clear he wants this reform. Let us now just make it happen.
:46:08. > :46:11.This Bill is it dead duck without a referendum. It would die in a sad
:46:11. > :46:16.and lonely death in the Lords unless there is a firm commitment
:46:16. > :46:21.to a referendum at the time perhaps of the general election. But is a
:46:21. > :46:26.strong message for many Conservative backbenchers to Number
:46:26. > :46:29.Ten Downing Street. We need a referendum. This is the grand
:46:29. > :46:33.entrance to the House of Lords. Downing Street says it has already
:46:33. > :46:40.started talks with the rebels, and says it is holding them in good
:46:40. > :46:44.faith, and accepts that some people will be a moveable. But it insists
:46:44. > :46:47.that it wants the issue debated in Parliament before Christmas.
:46:48. > :46:53.Therese Coffey, they could not be further apart. Where are you on
:46:53. > :46:59.this? I was happy to see it Procedure Committee, in order to
:46:59. > :47:04.have it detailed debate, but I believe ten days is not long enough.
:47:04. > :47:08.-- it to proceed to committee. I hope people who feel strongly come
:47:09. > :47:14.up with something we can get consensus. There is an appetite I
:47:14. > :47:19.think for reform. Very few people only want to leave it just as it is.
:47:19. > :47:24.Neighbours say they want reform, but they do not vote for it. --
:47:24. > :47:27.Labour's say. They would say to you that there are a lot of other
:47:27. > :47:36.issues concerning the public, and to see the Coalition squabbling
:47:36. > :47:40.about this is not very edifying. where do you stand on this? I want
:47:40. > :47:44.to see reform of the House of Lords, a would be happy to see a
:47:45. > :47:49.referendum, but I think there are huge issues about welfare and the
:47:49. > :47:55.cuts, but perhaps the public would rather we spend more time on for.
:47:55. > :47:59.Therese Coffey what about all the other changes and the impact of
:47:59. > :48:06.them on David Cameron? It seems to be the sum of changing his
:48:07. > :48:10.leadership -- testing his leadership. -- summer off. I think
:48:10. > :48:15.the strength of feeling was not quite so well known. It is coming
:48:15. > :48:19.to the end of another long session of Parliament, and I think there
:48:19. > :48:24.are a lot of MPs saying we do not want to spend a lot of time
:48:24. > :48:28.debating this, but it is very important to our Coalition partners.
:48:28. > :48:38.David Cameron has already said if we were elected it would be a third
:48:38. > :48:43.term issue, but we have to work on the court -- on at this. I think
:48:43. > :48:47.this shows that work relationships are not as strong as we would like.
:48:47. > :48:57.Now it is time for our final political round-up before the
:48:57. > :49:01.
:49:01. > :49:05.summer break. Now the Cambridge MP wants to make
:49:05. > :49:14.it harder for developers to turn a former pops into homes or
:49:14. > :49:18.supermarkets. You get very sterile communities. -- pubs. If it is milk
:49:19. > :49:24.which takes your fancy, dairy farmers fight for a fair price.
:49:24. > :49:28.This is the second price cut in three months. The European Union is
:49:28. > :49:32.providing almost �4 million of funding to improve rail services at
:49:32. > :49:37.Ely, but the Colchester MP could not persuade the Prime Minister to
:49:37. > :49:40.pump more money into the armed forces. If history is not kind to
:49:40. > :49:46.prime ministers who are perceived to have left a mark country without
:49:46. > :49:50.a strong defence capability. least you can console yourself with
:49:50. > :50:00.a glass of water. Now that the drought is over and a hosepipe ban
:50:00. > :50:05.has been lifted across the region. Have a great summer.
:50:05. > :50:09.Do you think measures like this would help pubs in the future, or
:50:09. > :50:14.is it that the tax on beer, supermarket pricing and the smoking
:50:14. > :50:18.ban have all done their bit to not help publicans? There are lots of
:50:18. > :50:22.regions why pubs succeed or do not succeed, but I think they're
:50:22. > :50:28.already measures around community are at their protection which means
:50:28. > :50:31.we can save pubs. I think some would say that if the pub does not
:50:31. > :50:39.work, there might be better used for the community than serving
:50:39. > :50:44.drinks. Mandy bus macro Therese Coffey, are pubs even more
:50:44. > :50:51.important in a rural communities? It certainly acts as a community
:50:51. > :50:59.hub. I have been to 98 of my 108 pubs in my constituency. Bate have
:50:59. > :51:03.closed in that time, but it is right, the Government has already
:51:03. > :51:09.brought in legislation to protect community assets.
:51:09. > :51:15.Ben Dumo so much for your time. Are you going to see some music now?