Beginning this month, the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) is to publish regular statistics on its website regarding visits to the museums and galleries it sponsors.

Visit figures will be updated during the first week of each month and will be one month in arrears to allow the institutions time to collate the information.

“Visits to our national museums and galleries have soared since we scrapped admission charges, and all the evidence suggests that this increase is being sustained,” said arts minister Estelle Morris.

“By publishing regular statistics of visitor numbers, all of us working in the sector will be better able to spot trends and to build on the success so far.”

Visitor numbers at museums and galleries are subject to many different influences, including school holidays, the weather and the popularity of temporary exhibitions.

The published figures will not include guests at corporate events.

A list of government sponsored museums and galleries is available on the DCMS website: www.culture.gov.uk