HC Deb 22 July 2002 vol 389 cc657-8
8. David Wright (Telford)

What assessment she has made of the development needs of museums in the west midlands. [68965]

The Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting (Dr. Kim Howells)

My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts regularly meets Lord Evans of Temple Guiting, chairman of Resource: the Council for Museums, Libraries and Archives, to discuss the needs of museums in all the English regions, including the west midlands.

David Wright

As my hon. Friend knows, my constituency contains the Ironbridge Gorge, which attracts some 300,000 visitors to Shropshire every year. Can he reassure me that he will work with his colleagues in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that floods do not damage that UNESCO world heritage site?

Dr. Howells

Yes. As I am sure my hon. Friend knows, DEFRA has money for that great and vital project. We must make certain that what is now a world heritage site retains its status.

Ms Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent, North)

Is my hon. Friend aware that he could boost tourism and help museums throughout the west midlands by engaging in urgently needed talks between now and tomorrow morning, before the auction at Bonhams of the Minton collection, which is being sold by Royal Doulton, to establish whether eleventh-hour measures can be taken to save that national treasure for the museum in Stoke-on-Trent?

Dr. Howells

I will certainly alert my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts, although I am not sure that she would be able to get to the auction on time. I do not know whether it is happening this afternoon or tomorrow morning.