Stop Press: Treasury have agreed a 5% cuts deal agreed for the arts within the CSR

 Stop Press: Treasury have agreed a 5% cuts deal agreed for the arts within the CSR

The national papers on Saturday broke the story that the DCMS has settled with the Treasury for the Comprehensive Spending Review for 2014-15 at 8%, and that the arts have got a ring-fenced 5% cut deal from George Osborne. It is a great deal for the DCMS and Maria Miller compared with what it might have been:  with a 10% and a 15% reduction model also being evaluated by ACE and other subsidy distributors. 5% is still going to be painful, but there may be ways of reducing the impact, at least partly through the lottery. The news was actually released by the Treasury rather than the DCMS, and perhaps reflects the steady stream of briefings directly to Osborne by national museum directors, Peter Bazalgette (CEO of ACE) and other leading spokespeople reflecting the impact in the sector of more substantial cuts.