LONDON, ENGLAND.-48 university museums and galleries across the country can from today reclaim their VAT thanks to the extension of the Government's free access policy. The free access policy is a cornerstone of this Government's cultural policy which will now also recognise the essential work of these university museums and galleries, who provide regular free admission to the public to view permanent collections or exhibits, by allowing them to reclaim the VAT they have paid on their running costs.

Minister for Culture, David Lammy, said: "Widening access to our cultural heritage is essential, which is why we have been working with the national museums to progressively eradicate entry fees. Firstly with free access for children in 1999, then the over 60's in 2000 and then for everyone in 2001. It has been a massive success, with visits up by 7.4 million on three years ago.

"But it is important not to stop here and through this latest extension of the free access policy, museums like the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge, the Ashmolean in Oxford, the Hancock in Newcastle and the Manchester Museum will now also be able to claim VAT refunds, helping them to do more to make our cultural heritage freely available to everyone."