FUNDING FOR ARTS AND HERITAGE

That this House supports the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; condemns the re-direction of up to £675 million of National Lottery funding to meet increased infrastructure costs to the Games; notes that such a diversion will lead to profound funding cuts for the very culture that the Prime Minister hailed as a key reason for the UK's successful Olympic bid; further notes that such cuts in Arts funding threaten to tarnish what the Prime Minister recently called this `Golden Age' of British arts; and calls on the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to support and protect the arts and heritage sectors by safeguarding Lottery funding from any further diversion to the Olympics at a time when the culture of the UK will be on view to the world.