The Department told us that, as a result, the speed of board appointments had got slightly quicker. A number of the October 2025 vacancies had been filled, with vacancies across museums’ and galleries’ boards falling to 27, representing a total vacancy rate of 11%.64 The Department told us that it hoped this improvement would continue in the next year, although it also stressed that it was important not to compromise on the quality of appointees as this was paramount.65 62 Q 19 63 Q 24 64 Qq 19 and 21 65 Qq 23 and 25 18