Government slammed for spending £500,000 on artworks

Published on Sunday 23 August 2009 20:12

THE government has been criticised for spending more than half a million pounds on art for official buildings as the recession took hold.

A sculpture made of old plastic bottles and low energy light bulbs, a steel and wood lattice installation and prints by Andy Warhol and Tracey Emin were among the works acquired by the Government Art Collection in 2008-9.

Details of the 556,911 bill were revealed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in response to a freedom of information request.

Mark Wallace, campaign director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "It is simply not acceptable for the Government Art Collection to be expanding its holdings when it already has so many works in storage that never see the light of day.

"In a recession, this kind of spending should be the first to stop as it's clearly a luxury not a necessity."

Shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "It is deeply disturbing that during a recession the government is spending so much of taxpayers' money on additional material for the government's art collection."

However, a DCMS spokesman said: "The Government Art Collection exists to promote Britain and to reflect its history, culture and creativity in the visual arts.

"The works are seen and enjoyed by thousands of visitors to government buildings at home and abroad every year.

"The government's spend on art works for the collection may go up or down from year to year, depending on the supply of works that come on to the market, and the demand for works in particular locations.

"The selection panel that decide what the public's money is spent on is made up of the most distinguished and pre-eminent art figures in the field, who are qualified to choose work that reflects and promotes British art."