HC Deb 15 March 1982 vol 20 c16
20. Mr. Christopher Price

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is now in a position to reply to the Education, Science and Art Committee's report on "Public and Private Funding of the Arts" an interim report on works of art, their retention in Great Britain and their acquisition by public bodies.

The Minister for the Arts (Mr. Paul Channon)

I hope to publish the reply before Easter.

Mr. Price

Is the Minister aware that it is nearly a year since the report was put before him? Does he intend that his reply before Easter will be taken into account in this year's Finance Bill, and that action will be taken this year on the terms of his reply? Does he agree that the matter is urgent, since petty bureaucrats in the Treasury should not be allowed to stand in the way—as we found in our Committee—of the sensible retention of works of art in Britain?

Mr. Channon

The Treasury has been its usual helpful self on this, as in many other matters. I shall not anticipate the reply, which will be with the House before long.

Mr. J. Enoch Powell

Does the report concern the export of works of art from the United Kingdom, or exclusively from Great Britain?

Mr. Channon

Except in the most tangential way the report is not concerned with the export of works of art.

Mr. Cormack

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the report, which was unanimous, was given further unanimous backing in the debate in the House on 15 February? Is my right hon. Friend further aware that if a flood of works of art comes on to the market in the next year the admirable national heritage memorial fund will be unable to cope? Does he agree that unless some of the proposals in the report are adopted by the Government we could face a disaster that would make Mentmore appear to be a tiny local incident?

Mr. Channon

I hope that that will not happen. I am well aware that the report is unanimous. That fact has been brought to my attention on more than one occasion. Hon. Members have also brought it to the attention of my right hon. and hon. Friends. We shall do the best that we can. I am well aware of the views of the House.

Mr. Dalyell

If the Treasury has been its usual helpful self, does that mean that we must blame the Minister for the Arts for having taken so long?

Mr. Channon

The Government as a whole must take responsibility for the timing and content of replies to Select Committees. We have just had a parliamentary debate, which has to be studied by a number of Departments. I hope that the reply will not be long in coming.