Dorrell puts his recent cultural heritage on show

The cultural hit-rate of Stephen Dorrell, Secretary of State for National Heritage and one of the apparently few people in Britain not to have seen Four Weddings and a Funeral, is on the up, a Commons written answer last night suggests, writes Patricia Wynn Davies.

The reply to Mark Fisher, a former Labour heritage spokesman, reveals that the minister has still not seen that movie, the subject of 14 Bafta nominations and a front-runner at this week's Oscars ceremony.

But Mr Dorrell, who admitted in February that he could not remember the last time he saw a British film, managed to see The Madness of King George at London's Lumiere, a cinema within division bell distance of the Palace of Westminster, on 19 March.

The reply to Mr Fisher, who asked what stage plays, concerts, operas, films and dance performances the minister had seen since 1 January, shows Mr Dorrell attending An Inspector Calls, The Knocky and "A Christmas Carol, the operas Otello and Cunning Little Vixen - but no concerts or dance performances. Seven museums, three galleries, 10 theatres, two art centres and two public libraries have also received Mr Dorrell's patronage.