Resource Board Minutes - Meeting 2 (24 July 2000)

1. At the second meeting of the Resource Board in July 2000, the Chief Executive outlined the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review for Resource and the sector. The Chancellor's statement of 18 July indicated that there would be a 4.3% increase in real terms for the cultural sector, but the exact split of the budget is not currently known. Further details about allocations to individual Non-Departmental Public Bodies would be available shortly.

2. The Chief Executive reported that the Resource Manifesto was launched on 18 July. A lunch was held for members of the media and the reaction was positive.

3. It was reported that a meeting was being arranged with several members of the Board to discuss the possible disaggregation of the South Eastern Museums Service. The Board noted that the Chief Executive would shortly meet with officials from the National Assembly for Wales about their cultural remit. The Chief Executive responded to questions relating to his recent visit to the Exeter Museums Service with the Chairman.

4. The Board approved the adoption of the Financial Memorandum and Funding Agreement. They also approved the appointment of Baker Tilly as Resource's external auditors.

5. The Board agreed that David Barrie should be their representative on the Acceptance-In-Lieu panel and act as a conduit between the Board and the Panel. The Board noted that the panel plans to provide advice regarding access to conditionally exempt objects.

6. The Board accepted in principle the proposals outlined in the Registration Review, which lays out the processes for streamlining the administration of Phase 2 and agreed that the review should be published. The Board then discussed standards development and made several comments and suggestions. They expressed a wish to discuss standards development, in more detail, at a future meeting.

7. Issues raised under any other business were the suggestion that Resource might wish to initiate research on the extent to which the sector's workforce reflected the ethnic mix of society and which identified any necessary action to be taken to develop a more balanced ethnic mix. The implementation of concordats with the Home Countries was also discussed. The level of investment made by local authorities in their museum services was also an issue which the Board wanted to explore at a later meeting.

8. The Board finally expressed their thanks to Sir Jack Baer for his work in chairing the Acceptance-in-Lieu panel.