THE BOARD'S GENERAL FUNCTIONS (Hansard, 14 January 1985)

§ Mr. Allan Stewart
I beg to move amendment No. 1, in page 2, line 13, after 'agricultural', insert `archaeological, artistic'.

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker
With this it will be convenient to take Government amendment No. 8.

§ Mr. Allan Stewart
The two amendments implement undertakings that I gave in Committee. My hon. Friend the Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Henderson) suggested that knowledge or experience of archaeological matters was a quality that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State should look for in appointing members of the new board, and I agreed to consider that suggestion. We were particularly impressed by his argument that the national museum of antiquities of Scotland is of "particular significance archaeologically''. We have therefore agreed that it would be appropriate to include a specific reference in the schedule as a matter to which my right hon. Friend should have regard.

§ Dr. Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Port Glasgow)
Should not the word "architectural" be inserted after "archaeological"? I was not a member of the Committee, but it may be that the Minister has implicitly subsumed matters architectural under the term "environmental". If not, surely architecture is as important a human activity as the others that are mentioned?

§ Mr. Stewart
If there had been an amendment to that effect, I would have considered it in detail, but in fact architecture is subsumed in the other terms in the clause.
We have gone further than my hon. Friend suggested and concluded that it would be appropriate for a reference to archaeology to be included in clause 2 as one of the matters about which the new board of trustees of the national museums of Scotland must promote public awareness.
In Committee, I listened to what Opposition Members said about the word "artistic" and, as the hon. Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Buchan) will recall. he agreed to withdraw an amendment that he had moved for the inclusion of "artistic" on my assurance that the Government would introduce an amendment. At that stage I said that the only thing wrong with his amendment was that it was inadvertently proposed for the wrong place in the Bill alphabetically.

§ Mr. Allan Stewart
I beg to move amendment No. 2, in page 2, line 16, after 'means', insert ', including collaboration with other institutions'. I suggest that it would be convenient for the House to discuss at the same time amendment No. 3, in page 2, line 18, at end insert— '(f) form and maintain recognisable links with and provide advice and assistance to local museums and similar institutions throughout Scotland.'.
In Committee we had a lengthy discussion about the powers of the new board to collaborate with local museums and other similar institutions. I explained that the powers already in the clause were sufficient to permit this. However, having listened carefully to what hon. Members said, I am aware of the strength of feeling that the pastoral role which the national museums have traditionally played in relation to the other museums in Scotland should continue and develop. Accordingly, amendment No. 2 will make it clear that in promoting the public's awareness of the matters specified in subsection 1(d), the board may collaborate with other institutions.
The Government amendment goes further than simply local museums, and that is the key difference between our amendment and amendment No. 3, which stands in the names of Opposition Members. The Government amendment makes it clear that the board may come to 150 arrangements with bodies such as the National Trust for Scotland. This is a more satisfactory approach than that embodied in the Opposition amendment, which would be more restrictive in that respect. I confirm that the Scottish Museums Council, the position of which was referred to by Opposition Members in Committee, is happy with the proposed Government amendment.

§ Mr. Buchan
We do not propose to press amendment No. 3. My hon. Friends and I welcome this major concession, which goes to the heart of much of the earlier debate on the Bill. The issue was at the heart of many of the representations made by the museum authorities, and I am glad that the Government have listened to season. It shows that there is hope even for the wicked.
We should have preferred our amendment, which would have set out the matter more clearly; it would also have been alphabetically correct in adding a new subsection (1) (f). The word "collaboration" in the Government amendment might be considered to have slightly sinister implications, but I accept its use in the spirit in which it is intended.
I appreciate that the Government did not want to make too much of a surrender, and we do not object to that. The important point is that the amendment is being made. The Scottish Museums Council is satisfied. So am I. I said that the amendment would have to be made, and I am thankful for what is a reasonably large mercy.

§ Mr. Barry Henderson (Fife, North-East)
I thank the Minister for fulfilling completely the undertakings he gave in Committee with regard to the previous amendment.
The subject of this matter caused a number of amendments to be tabled in Committee by hon. Members on both sides, all of which were longer than that which the Minister has introduced tonight. I congratulate him on this amendment, which is short and succinct and covers the burden of the points we made in Committee.