Letter: Arts Council row

Tuesday 31 March 1998 00:02 BST

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Arts Council row

DAVID LISTER ("Arts Council sheds half its members", 25 March) implies that the Parliamentary Commissioner (Ombudsman) found fault with Arts Council of Great Britain's decision to cease funding the Kosh. Nothing could be farther from the truth: the Arts Council won the ruling, not the Kosh.

In addition, Michael Merwitzer of the Kosh implies in his letter (24 March) that the Ombudsman would agree that the Arts Council is run by "only knaves and fools". The Ombudsman drew no conclusion of that sort, and stated clearly that the decision taken by ACGB in December 1993 was not maladministrative.

The Ombudsman did identify some shortcomings in the Council's provision of feedback to the Kosh, but suggested that a written apology would be sufficient remedy. The Arts Council complied readily and immediately.

GRAHAM DEVLIN

Deputy Secretary-General

The Arts Council of England

London SW1

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