PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
THE NEW D'OYLY CARTE GILBERT & SULLIVAN COMPANY AND THE NEW MILLENNIUM (12 July 1998)

That this House deeply regrets the failure of the Government and the Arts Council to provide any funding to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company to sustain what is quintessentially part of the English cultural and musical heritage, and the Arts Council's unwillingness to recognise the D'Oyly Carte opera company as worthy of a place on the list of organisations given client status for regular funding, in spite of the fact that the company has been the custodian of a unique part of the British musical tradition for more than 120 years; notes that the D'Oyly Carte brings Gilbert and Sullivan to a non-elitist audience across the whole of Britain at the price range of ú8 to ú22 per seat, making it by far the largest and most prolific touring company in the United Kingdom which is not in receipt of any regular funding by the Arts Council; feels that since more than 83 per cent. of the income of the D'Oyly Carte opera company is raised through the box office and private sector donations, and the company is financially and managerially well-run and shares none of the overheads and administrative costs of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, support for D'Oyly Carte gives much better value than most other forms of musical endeavour; congratulates Sir Michael Bishop, Chairman of D'Oyly Carte and Raymond Gubbay Ltd. for establishing an association to market, promote and develop the future of G and S operettas can continue to be a part of Britain's great musical heritage as it moves towards the millennium.

Sponsored by:
Austin Mitchell (Labour)