All three South Kensington museums will soon be free, following the Natural History Museum's announcement that it will scrap charges from 1 December. Director, Dr Neil Chalmers says the museum will monitor its financial position to make sure it is not worse off: 'The government has guaranteed compensation for the next three years to cover the shortfall from loss of admissions income and we have been assured that our VAT position will not be adversely affected.' Director of the National Art Collections Fund, David Barrie, is delighted and thinks it will pave the way for the remaining charging museums to follow suit: To have all three flagship South Kensington museums going free is wonderful news. This is a big day for The Art Fund and for the DCMS, whose determined efforts on the VAT front have paved the way.