§ 4. Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)What assessment he has made of the current levels of exports of works of art from Great Britain. [110599]
§ The Minister for the Arts (Mr. Alan Howarth)I refer the hon. Gentleman to the annual report of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art for the period 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999, which was published on 26 November 1999 and laid before Parliament, and provides information about the level of exports of works of art requiring individual export licences for that period.
§ Mr. BercowI am grateful to the Minister for that reply, but is he proud of the fact that the committee's latest report shows that funding for the safeguarding of important national art treasures fell last year by 75 per cent., from £23 million to under £6 million? What plans does he have immediately to address that chronic decline? If the answer is none, will it not be best for him to export himself, if he is able to find a gullible enough buyer?
§ Mr. HowarthThe hon. Gentleman makes a charming suggestion. I am pleased to tell him that our plans include more than doubling the funding available to the national heritage memorial fund. I am also pleased to say that the trustees of the heritage lottery fund have indicated that the money that they will allocate for the acquisition of works of art will be doubled. He will also have noted that, in the period shortly after publication of the report, the heritage lottery fund rose magnificently to the occasion, as did the national art collections fund, to enable the purchase by the national gallery of Scotland of Botticelli's "The Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child".
§ Mr. Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey)May I associate myself with the remarks about Michael Colvin? Among his many other talents, he was a very accomplished artist, and he did a great deal of work on behalf of the arts, both locally and across the country. Hon. Members on both sides of the House will have their own memories of Michael. I came to know him best through his work for the arts. I am quite sure that the entire House will join me in sending our heartfelt sympathy to Michael and Nichola's family on this tragedy.
Notwithstanding the comments that the Minister has just made on export of works of art, does he accept that the verdict of the export reviewing committee was that 6 Britain does face a heritage crisis? What will the Government do about museums' acquisition budgets, which are at an appallingly low ebb? Should not providing the funds and the assistance to help museums to acquire works of art be a key part of the Government's policy of enhancing access?
§ Mr. HowarthBefore responding to the hon. Gentleman's question, I should like to say that I have the happiest of memories of a visit to York with Michael and Nichola Colvin, and with the hon. Member for South Staffordshire (Sir P. Cormack) who is in the Chamber. We went to look at the heritage in York, and it was a very happy day. Michael and Nichola were great lovers of heritage, and the hon. Member for East Surrey (Mr. Ainsworth) was absolutely right to make that important point in the House on this particular day.
As for the hon. Gentleman's question on the alleged crisis in funding for acquisitions, I should remind him that funding levels are very much what they were when the previous, Conservative Government left office. Subsequently, not only have we been able to ensure that the Botticelli was obtained for the national gallery of Scotland, but the United Kingdom national gallery, in London, has acquired Stubbs's "Whistlejacket" and Dürer's "Jerome". Extremely important acquisitions have been made in museums and galleries in Bolton, Leeds, Doncaster, Bury St. Edmunds, Cirencester and Cambridge.
As I said, the national art collections fund and the heritage lottery fund rise to the occasion when required to do so. There is not the crisis that the hon. Gentleman asserts that there is.