LONDON, ENGLAND.- The attendance to art museums and galleries that have free entrance has risen 62% since December 1, 2001, when the entrance fees were eliminated. The government announced that an extra 2.7 million people have been to a museum for the first seven months of this scheme. The Victoria and Albert Museum attendance was up by 157%, the highest rise in attendance. The attendance to the Science Museum was up by 82%. The attendance to the Natural History Museum was up 72%. Attendance to the Royal Armouries, Portsmouth was up 69%. Attendance to National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside was up 67%. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said: "Now charges have been lifted for the great permanent collections, people of all ages are flooding through the doors to see them. We are currently working out how much cash we can give to the national and regional museums. However, one thing is clear, free entry will be protected." Mark Jones, director of the V&A stated, "These figures show that free admission makes a huge difference and has opened up the Museum again to many more people."