Written question asked by Lord Carlile of Berriew (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Triesman (Labour) on Monday, 6 November 2006.

Venice Biennale: British Pavilion

Question: How much public money was spent on the funding of the British Pavilion at the current Venice architectural biennale; and what is their assessment of its effectiveness as a showcase for contemporary British architecture.

Answer: The British Council has owned and managed the pavilion on behalf of Britain since 1938. In 2006, it cost £230,000 to fund the British Pavilion at the Venice architecture biennale. The Venice biennale of architecture is the world's most important discussion platform for contemporary architecture and urban design and is a highly effective way of showcasing the best of UK architecture. This is reflected in the growing numbers of visitors and international media coverage received. In 2004, 115,000 people visited the architecture biennale—an increase of 11 per cent on the previous event in 2002. We expect this will rise to 140,000 people in 2006.

Secondary information