On the 6 March a Westminster Hall Debate was held on the contibution of local museums to the UK. The debate was called by the Labour MP for Thurrock, Jen Craft, who highlighted the positive impact of her borough’s “fantastic local museums”, but also the challenges they are facing due to limited funding and the costs of maintenance.

In respance, arts minister Ian Murrays said that the UK Government is developing a “package of measures” to support local museums in England. Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate on the sector’s contributions, Murray – standing in for museums and heritage minister Baroness Twycross – outlined efforts to address funding and maintenance challenges.

More details about the debate can be found here: Government ‘will not neglect local museums’, pledges arts minister – Museums Association