Review of Arts Council England to look at project quality and how to cut costs

Appointment of Mary Archer to assess body’s use of public money and funding choices follows controversial guidance from ACE

Dame Mary Archer, a former chairwoman of the Science Museum Group, will lead a government review into the use of public money by Arts Council England (ACE).

Archer, the wife of former Tory party chairman and novelist Jeffrey Archer, will look at whether the body can find cost savings of 5% and assess the “ambition and quality” of ACE-funded projects, according to an announcement by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).