British Museum (Hansard, 1 May 1962)

§ 16. Mr. Rankin
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the talks between Ministers and British Museum trustees, which the Prime Minister has already announced, will take place.

§ Mr. Barber
I regret that I cannot at present add anything to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Islington. East (Mr. Fletcher) on 17th April.

§ Mr. Rankin
In view of that answer, why was the Question transferred from the Prime Minister to the hon. Member, who cannot answer it? Can he tell us whether the Government to which he belongs are really interested in the serious problems that face the British Museum at present? What are they doing to bring the great paintings, which are presently stored in the vaults of the Museum, into public view? If they are interested, why has the Chancellor of the Exchequer attended only one statutory meeting in the last five years? The Home Secretary is not in much better case. Why do not more of the 18 members attend the statutory meetings of the Museum in order to help it in its present difficulties?

§ Mr. Barber
My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works has attended 75 per cent. of the meetings. As for the meetings referred to in the Question asked on 17th April by the hon. Member, I find that Ministers have been present at six out of the thirteen meetings there referred to. I can assure the hon. Member that we have all these matters very much in mind and, as he will know from the answer previously given, talks have already taken place between Ministers and the trustees on a number of points. I hope that further talks, including talks on the all-important question of the constitution of the British Museum, will take place before long.

§ Mr. Rankin
Is the hon. Member aware that it is now a year since the Prime Minister made the promise to which I referred in the Question? During that year nothing has been done. Can the Minister tell us why?

§ Mr. Barber
A number of complications are involved. I am sure that the hon. Member, with his experience of the British Museum—and I know that he has been interested in it for many years—will appreciate that they are serious ones and require the most careful attention. There is one other point which is relevant. We thought it right to allow time for the present Archbishop of Canterbury, who takes precedence among the principal trustees, to familiarise himself with Museum matters so that he could form his own views.