The Government today cleared the tracks for the National Railway Museum in York to bring back free admission for all visitors.

The Culture Secretary, Chris Smith, announced an additional £100 million for museums and galleries over the next three years.

The trustees of the national collections, including the NRM in York, will be able - subject to efficiency reforms - to bring in free admission for children next year, pensioners in 2000 and adults by 2001.

In another development, York Museums Service and Harewood House are among 43 designated organisations, officially recognised for their important collections, which can bid for money from a new £15 million challenge fund to finance new capital investment. The NRM, which is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry, abolished free admission in 1987 as it came under increasing financial pressure.

The museum currently charges £4.95 for adults and £3.15 for children, although under-fours are free. People can join the Friends of the Museum for £15, giving them free admission for a year. About 420,000 visitors visited in the year to the end of March.

Head of museum Andrew Scott today gave a cautious welcome to the likely re-introduction of free admission.

He said: "The trustees will need to study what is said today and also the follow-up papers and look into the details before they could reach any firm conclusions."

He generally supported anything that removed barriers to museums, but stressed it was vital that the museum had sufficient funding to maintain standards. He also questioned why people believed admission should be free to museums, when they accepted they should pay to see theatre.

Charlie Croft, acting director of leisure services for City of York Council, said a whole range of projects, for example at the Castle Museum, might be eligible for funding from the new challenge fund.

Mr Smith said his £290 million package, which includes £125 million for the arts, represented "an exciting new beginning for the arts and cultural life. It will give hundreds of thousands more people the chance to ...learn about our culture and visit the great collections of our nation."

In return, he will be looking for reform, a cut in bureaucracy and a commitment to providing excellence and improving access.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of the York Tourism Bureau, said: "If this can be an inducement for visitors to come to York this will ultimately benefit other tourism businesses in the city."

But it's not good news everywhere. In Scarborough, the borough council is to introduce admission charges from tomorrow at the Rotunda Museum, Scarborough Art Gallery and Wood End Museum. An annual pass costing £3 (£1.50 concessions) will be on offer allowing visitors to visit all three sites as many times as they wish. The council feels the price is so "reasonable" that people will be more than happy to pay.

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