§ 11. Harry Cohen (Leyton and Wanstead)What stolen Iraqi cultural objects have been recovered since 19 May; and if she will make a statement. [122088]
§ The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell)The Coalition Provisional Authority, with the support of expert officials nominated by my Department, is assessing the scale of looting from Iraq's museums and cultural sites. As I made clear at our last Question Time, however, it will be some time before a full inventory of stolen and recovered Iraqi cultural artefacts is completed. The amnesty conducted by United States forces has had some positive results since 19 May, with several key pieces, including the Warka vase, being returned to the Iraq museum.
I should like to take this opportunity to clarify my reply of 19 May 2003 to my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman). I intended to state that there were 170,000 items in the museum's collection, not 170 artefacts taken from the museum.
Given all the reports about the scale of losses, Members should be aware that 90 per cent. of artefacts were taken into safe-keeping before the conflict started.
§ Harry CohenI thank the Secretary of State for that answer, and I welcome the assessment being made in respect of the full inventory. Can my right hon. Friend confirm that, as Neil MacGregor, head of the British Museum, is reported as saying in Glasgow's The Herald, there appears to have been informed and planned looting and that 32 of the most prized artefacts are still missing? Can she respond to the eminent archaeologist, Dan Cruickshank, who has expressed alarm at the part-reopening of Baghdad museum on 3 July? Will the museum and the artefacts on display there be safe?
§ Tessa JowellIt seems that losses arose in three ways. First, a number of artefacts were taken away before the Gulf war and have not yet been returned. Secondly, artefacts were removed from the museum by the regime, and efforts are being made to locate them; some were taken to banks, but others have not yet been identified. Thirdly, there seems to be some evidence of systematic criminal theft, and, as I have made clear, some artefacts were removed by looting.
It is desired to open the museum again as quickly as possible, but that must be negotiated in the context of the security situation. Subject to that, I hope to go to Baghdad later this year to see at first hand the efforts made by my staff and the Coalition Provisional Authority on an area that is key to the restoration of democracy in Iraq.
§ Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet)I appreciate that, for obvious reasons, the right hon. Lady cannot have complete control over the issue, but she said that before the war 90 per cent. of the artefacts were taken away for safe-keeping. As two months have passed since the end of the war, the 90 per cent. of artefacts that have not been returned must have been looted, or taken by the now illegal regime. Surely it is possible to make a 13 firm estimate of what has been saved and what has been lost—hopefully, in relation to the latter, only temporarily rather than permanently.
§ Tessa JowellI have some sympathy with the hon. Gentleman's frustration, but when museum staff were in this country a few weeks ago they made it clear that compiling the comprehensive inventory of what had happened to the artefacts would take time. They wanted to ensure that they had time to do that, which will obviously have a bearing on when the museum reopens.
Ninety per cent. of the artefacts were removed; we do not know where they were all taken. There will be a painstaking examination of clues and trails, and there will be further pleas for their return under amnesty. We shall provide support to that enterprise, which is being led by the British Museum, for as long as is necessary and for as long as that support is welcome.
§ Mr. Richard Allan (Sheffield, Hallam)Does the Secretary of State share my concern that, out of sight of the media, archaeological sites across Iraq are at risk of looting as long as the security situation remains so desperately poor? Will she support calls by experts in the field to improve customs controls to stop material being smuggled out of Iraq and to instruct visiting journalists and military personnel in Iraq not to buy archaeological souvenirs?
§ Tessa JowellYes, I share the hon. Gentleman's concerns about the reports of continued looting. Consistent with the security situation, my officials, who are in various centres in Iraq, are making every effort to visit sites. After our last oral questions, I was able to place a letter of reassurance in the Library, following the allegations about the defacing of the Ziggurat at Ur. We have a partial report on the damage caused by looting, and we shall continue to update and improve such reports.
On the international trade in illicit objects, the hon. Gentleman will know that we have secured a stronger position through the UN mandate that is now in place. We hope that his private Member's Bill will soon be on the statute book. The art market in London and, indeed, around the world is co-operating to ensure that there is no market in artefacts that belong to the Iraqi people.