This is the first white paper for culture in more than 50 years and only the second ever published. It is the latest contribution to our approach to public support for art and culture. The current approach to such support began immediately after the Second World War, although, tellingly, much thinking had taken place while the fighting was still going on. John Maynard Keynes, the first chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain, spoke of his hopes that one day “the theatre, the concert hall and the gallery will be a living element in everyone’s upbringing”. In 1965 this aspiration was given more concrete shape in Jennie Lee’s White Paper for the arts, which set out the government’s obligation to sustain and strengthen all that is best in the arts and stated that “the best must be made more widely available.” In 1992, the government created the Department for National Heritage, now the Department for Culture, Media & Sport. And in 1994 came the National Lottery. In launching it, John Major said: “A country can only be strong, healthy and contented if it nourishes its heritage and cultivates widespread appreciation of the arts. I would like to see everyone in this country share in the opportunities that were once available only to the privileged few… I am determined that the Lottery will make it possible for millions more to enjoy a fuller life.” The Lottery has funded thousands of arts and heritage initiatives, and paid for new and refurbished museums, galleries and historic buildings across the whole of the UK. The increased appetite for culture was evident after Culture Secretary Chris Smith introduced free admission to museums in 2001. In the next decade, visitor numbers soared. Over the past 70 years public support has championed culture for all, giving people everywhere the right to expect the best; preserved our collective heritage; and extended ever-greater access. - Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, UK.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509942/DCMS_The_Culture_White_Paper__1_.pdf