Sir, The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) in fact contributed £7 million to the rescue package of Dumfries House and moved swiftly to do so (Godfrey Barker, Thunderer, June 29). As the nation’s “fund of last resort”, funded by the Government to the tune of £10 million a year and designed to save our most important heritage facing threat – including, but not only art – this is just what NHMF was set up to do.

Our approach to distributing money through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is different. The money is raised from lottery players so we take a broader approach, not only supporting fine art but also investing in railway engines, such as The Flying Scotsman, landscapes, canals, endangered species and local histories. We do this because that is what people tell us they care about and want to hand on to their children.

While we may not have spent as much on helping to acquire fine art items as Godfrey Barker would wish, HLF has spent nearly a third of its money invigorating the UK’s museums and galleries.

We know that heritage in its different forms is a great source of passion for thousands of people across the land. What constitutes our national inheritance should be the subject of vigorous debate and we continue to welcome the discussion.

CAROLE SOUTER, Director, National Heritage Memorial Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund

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