§ 9. Mr. Andrew Dismore (Hendon)If he will make a statement about the work of the spoliation panel. [119882]
§ The Minister for the Arts (Mr. Alan Howarth)On Thursday 13 April, I was delighted to announce the membership and terms of reference of the spoliation advisory panel. For those who may be unfamiliar with the jargon, I should explain that the Government have set up the panel with the aim of providing an alternative to litigation, and to facilitate a just resolution of claims made for cultural objects that may have been looted in the Nazi era between 1933 and 1945. The Government are determined to set an example of how a civilised society should conduct itself in making possible redress for historic wrongs committed during the Nazi era, including the looting of cultural objects.
§ Mr. DismoreI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that answer. Many of the claimants are now elderly and infirm, like Mr. Felix Davis, whose painting of Hampton Court is presently in the Tate gallery. I understand that there is not a great deal of dispute now between him and the Tate. Will the Minister use his best endeavours to ensure that the spoliation panel cracks on with its work to settle the claims as quickly as possible? If it turns out that its powers are not sufficiently strong, will he review them to see if they need to be strengthened?
§ Mr. HowarthMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I appreciate my hon. Friend's sensitive and determined advocacy of this issue. The answer to the questions that he puts to me is yes.
§ Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)Further to the first report of the national museum directors conference, can the Minister tell the House how many cultural objects and works of art have so far been shown to be of unknown provenance? What representations has he or the spoliation panel already received about them? Can he give the House some idea about the speed with which properly completed applications can be processed, so that the works of art looted by the Nazis can be returned as soon as possible to their rightful owners?
§ Mr. HowarthThe national museum directors conference has identified hundreds of cultural objects whose provenance in the Nazi era between 1933 and 1945 contains some element of uncertainty. However, it does not follow that they were all looted objects. Indeed, only one clear-cut claim has so far been made to a national collection, and that concerns the work to which my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore) just referred—the Jan Griffier painting "View of Hampton Court Palace", which is in the Tate.
I can give the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) my absolute assurance- that we are encouraging the spoliation advisory panel to act as rapidly as it can in examining the principles that ought to apply, and the specific rights and wrongs of the case that has been referred to it.