PROTECTION OF MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES (Hansard, 19 December 1967)

§ Dame Irene Ward (Tynemouth)
I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make it an offence to remove without authority any work of art from a publicly-owned collection; and for purposes connected therewith. The Bill which—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. It was the will of the House that Ten Minutes Rule Bills should be taken at this time. Hon Members must listen to the hon. Lady.

§ Dame Irene Ward
The Bill would make it an offence to remove from an art gallery without authority any work of art, and its object would be carried out by two small amendments to the Malicious Damages Act of 1861. The Bill is simple, it is practical, and it is wanted. I am very glad to be able to say that it has the support of both the National Gallery and the Tate Gallery. In the form in which I present it, it also has the support of the Criminal Law Revision Committee. It is a very well-supported Bill.
It may seem a little odd that I should be introducing this Bill at this time, but hon. Members might cast their minds back to an occasion a year or two ago when a thief removed from the National Gallery the Goya portrait of the Duke of Wellington, and held it for some years in the hope of payment of a ransom. When the portrait was finally returned, minus its frame, it was discovered that the only prosecution that lay against the theft was for the removal of the frame. Had the thief left the portrait in the frame, no proceedings could have been taken against him.
That incident disclosed a big loophole in the law appertaining to our galleries 1094 and museums, so, for some time, methods of dealing with the loophole have been under consideration. As I say, the Bill in its present form has the support of all those who are interested in protecting our public galleries and museums from thieves of the kind who removed the Goya portrait from the National Gallery.
It has been brought to my notice that those who want the Bill consider it to be a matter of urgency. What has happened in the past, and all the publicity that was given to the theft of the Goya portrait and what subsequently happened after that theft was discovered, has put the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery and other galleries and museums into a very exposed position and those who are knowledgeable in the matter are very anxious that the loophole that was revealed should be closed as soon as possible.
I feel that I am asking the House to accept a Bill that will be of general benefit to those who are interested in our museums and galleries. I therefore ask the House to allow me to have the First Reading of this small but very important Bill.