HL Deb 11 December 1969 vol 306 c804WA
LORD MANCROFT

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there are any limitations on the loan of pictures from Public Galleries or Collections to British Embassies and Consulates abroad.

BARONESS PHILLIPS

All the national museums and galleries, except the Wallace Collection, have power to lend pictures, whether in this country or overseas, at their own discretion, though in some cases loans have to be approved by Parliament or by my right honourable friend, the Secretary of State for Education and Science. Pictures in the National Gallery and Tate Gallery cannot normally be lent for more than five years. Restrictions on lending may be attached to individual gifts or bequests, or may be imposed by galleries because of such factors as the condition of a picture or the hazards it would be exposed to.

House adjourned at eight minutes before eleven o'clock.