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Free entry to all national museums is now a certainty
after the National History Museum agreed to halt its objections
to the plan.
The culture secretary, Chris Smith, who described
free admission as "a bit of a personal crusade", was exultant. "It
is very good news indeed," he said.
David Barrie, director of the National Art Collections
Fund, the charity which has led the campaign for free admission,
said: "To have all three flagship South Kensington museums going
free is wonderful news." The Victoria and Albert Museum and the
Science Museum have already decided to abandon their charges.
The decision was also welcomed by Sir Nicholas Serota,
director of the Tate, where free admission was seen as crucial in
achieving the stunning 5.2m first-year visitors at Tate Modern,
and Neil MacGregor, director of the National Gallery, who resisted
tremendous pressure to introduce charges under the last Tory government.
The Natural History Museum was seen as the greatest
single obstacle to free admission to all the national collections.
Its trustees, and director Sir Neil Chalmers, have been implacably
opposed: uniquely among the big museums they saw charging as a positive
factor which made visitors appreciate the experience more.
Both Roy Clare, the new director of the National
Maritime Museum, and Sir Neil Chalmers entered caveats yesterday.
Mr Clare's statement described admission charges as suspended rather
than scrapped, and warned: "The success of the scheme in the medium
to long term depends upon a fair VAT regime and the maintenance
by central government of satisfactory levels of grant in aid."
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