If he will implement the recommendations of the Goodison review of museums and private giving.

The Government have implemented 29 of Sir Nicholas's recommendations, and will continue to keep the further issues raised under review.

I welcome the Chief Secretary to his post. Is he aware, however, that it is now three and a half years since the publication of the Goodison review—a report that was commissioned by one of his predecessors as Chief Secretary? When will the Treasury respond to the report's tax recommendations, which have universal support in the arts world as a means of substantially increasing private giving at relatively modest cost? May I draw his attention to the unanimous recommendation of the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport to that effect?

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his kind welcome, and pay tribute to him for having the courage to be the first Tory to raise the issue of museum funding for at least four weeks. As I said, many of Sir Nicholas Goodison's recommendations to the Treasury have been implemented; others have proved more challenging, although we keep those matters under review. I hope that he will accept that museums and galleries get about £6 million from gift aid, which is a significant contribution. I warn him that such tax changes would have to be funded, and if he is considering doing so by introducing museum charges, that would be a somewhat backward-looking and elitist policy.

I, too, welcome my right hon. Friend to his new position. Does he agree that museums have played a critical part in education and the strengthening of our economy, not only in the arts and culture but in improving pupils' understanding of science, technology and maths? Is not free admission crucial to the rolling out of our education plans and helping to improve our economy?

I could not agree more. Since Lord Smith of Finsbury had the courage to introduce the policy, there has been a huge increase in the number of people visiting our museums and galleries, many of them for the first time. My hon. Friend is right to highlight the link between education and museums, and the need to make museums even more accessible to school children and school parties. I can give her an absolute guarantee that we will maintain the policy of free entry to museums and galleries, principally because it has brought enormous cultural benefits to all the country's major cultural centres.

I, too, welcome the Minister to his hew position. The House should be as one in dealing with the art, culture, tradition and heritage of this country. Historically, patronage—which has recently been given rather a bad name—has played a major role in arts and heritage. Will the Minister and the Treasury team look more favourably on expanding patronage of the arts, which is one of the best ways of obtaining money from those who have it and investing it in what we believe in—arts, heritage and tradition?

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his welcome. I will give him a commitment to keep these matters under review, but I recall from my time as an adviser at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport—it seems many years ago now—that most museums are still able to display only a small part of their collections. If there is new money to come into the museums sector, be it from tax relief or from direct grant, we must consider how it can best be used to strengthen further the renaissance and the cultural boom that we have seen since this Labour Government came to power.

Can my hon. Friend assure me that the Government will continue to give financial support to the exciting new developments in national museums in Liverpool as part of the city's regeneration? What impact does he think a policy of charging for admission would have on the development of the museum?

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her support for Liverpool's status as European capital of culture. I have visited Liverpool a good deal recently and seen the changes taking place in the city, and it gives me—as a native scouser—huge pride to see it on the up, and ready to enjoy a fantastic celebration of culture next year. If we were to bring back museum charges at this stage, just as we are about to throw open the doors of the marvellous national museums and galleries in Liverpool, it would be a complete dereliction of our duty to the people of my hon. Friend's city and this country.