83. Mr. Rostron Duckworthasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the large number of pictures which are hardly, if ever, shown at the Tate or National Galleries, arrangements can be made for an improved system for the loaning of such pictures to provincial art galleries and schools on the lines of the Rutherston loan scheme operated by the Manchester Art Gallery authorities?
§ Lieut.-Colonel ColvilleThe pictures at the National Gallery not shown on the exhibition floor (some 500 in number) are arranged so that they can be readily seen by the public on application and there are frequent exchanges between them and pictures in the exhibition galleries. The Tate Gallery has some 580 pictures in store (excluding water colours and drawings) but a large number of these are, under the National Gallery (Loan) Act. 1883, not available for loan. The number at present on loan is about 100 from the National Gallery and 445 from the Tate Gallery. The authorities of the National Gallery have 1719 frequently tried to increase their figure of loans but the results have been disappointing. My hon. Friend will appreciate that because of age and delicacy a substantial number of the pictures could not in any case be loaned.