§ 31. Mr. Crouchasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make changes whereby his Department will improve its liaison with the National Gallery with the object of enabling its purchases of works of art to be made at fair prices and at a reasonable profit to the seller.
§ 60. Sir J. Vaughan-Morganasked the President of the Board of Trade why his official inquiries into the allegations concerning the sale at Aldwick Court in March took from May until October.
§ 61. Mr. A. Royleasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he took to inform the National Gallery of the investigation he has been carrying out into the activities of Mr. Julius Weitzner and other dealers after the sale of the Duccio painting at Aldwick Court, Somerset.
§ 62. Mr. Channonasked the President of the Board of Trade what is the nature of the inquiry officials of his Department are carrying out into the recent purchase by the National Gallery of the Madonna and Child by Duccio.
§ 73. Mr. A. Royleasked the President of the Board of Trade why he has referred the matter of the Duccio sale to the Director of Public Prosecutions since it is impossible to bring a case under the Auction (Bidding Agreements) Act, 1927, as the Magistrates Courts Act, 1952, provides a six months' limit which expired on 26th September, 1968; and what explanation he has for failing to act in time, in view of the information he was given earlier in the year.
§ Mr. CroslandWith permission, I will answer these Questions after Question Time.