A recent meeting of the Northern Ireland Arts Council culminated in a call for increased government funding for the arts. Arts Council Chairman, Brian Walker, said that the country had fallen further behind the rest of the UK in per-capita spend, and warned that the insufficient funding situation could lead to the extinction of some arts organisations. 'The Arts Council has made great efforts over the past two years to maximise the impact of funding available,' he remarked. 'But such measures can only go so far in the face of chronic, long-term under-funding.' According to Arts Council statistics, Northern Ireland received approximately £7 million in arts funding for the 2002-2003 financial year. By comparison, England received approximately £289 million, Scotland an estimated £33 million and Wales approximately £18 million. Walker said he was aware that an assortment of industries held claims to increased public funding but that the Arts Council remained committed to lobbying on the issue. 'We aim to secure the achievements of our artists and art organisations, while developing new talents and new creative enterprises,' he said. 'Neither of these can be achieved while the annual budget for the arts decreases.'