Government investment in the arts, such as music and theatre, is a waste of money. Governments must invest this money in public services instead.To what extent do you agree with this statement?

These days, the government spends a large part of its budget not only on public services, but also the arts. Although I accept that it is important to spend money on public services, I disagree with the idea that spending on the arts is a waste of money.

There are several reasons for spending a significant amount of the government budget on public services. Public services are the things such as hospitals, schools and police, and these services determine the quality of life that most of us will have. For example, if the government does not spend enough money on hospitals, the health of our society may decline. Similarly, if not enough money is spent on schools, our children may not be properly educated. At the same time, we all need the security that the police provide, and want to live in a safe community. If police forces were not properly strengthened, we would have to live with potential threats from burglars or murderers.

Although, investing in better public services can provide us with numerous benefits, this does not mean that the arts should be completely neglected. Firstly, it is difficult for many arts institutions to generate much profit, so without some help from the government, many theatres and other sources of entertainment may have to close. Secondly, the arts have an important impact on our quality of life. Many people take great pleasure in going to enjoy music and theatre performances. Hence, it is vitally important for the government to assist such institutions so that they can continue to provide entertainment to the public.

In conclusion, while there are clear benefits of ensuring that a large amount of investment is being allocated to the public services as this improves the quality of our lives, I do not believe that spending money on the arts is a waste of money as it also plays a significant role in our societies.