France

All important decisions come directly from the ministry in Paris

There has been a ministry of culture since 1959

Elected officials must be accountable for cultural policy

Cultural industries such as publishing are state subsidised

Artists' work is assessed fir funding by specialist inspectors from the ministry

Britain

The Arts Council of Great Britain was established in 1946 as an arm's length support structure

It had been decentralised, and Regional Arts Boards established

The Arts are funded via a system of government agencies, quangos and local authorities

Since 1992 a government department has been responsible for culture, but this has not altered the funding system