§ 2.35 p.m.
§ LORD AMULREEMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will request the Trustees of the Tate Gallery, since they raised no objection in principle to the publication of the state of their funds, to complete their report of February 17 to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury by publishing such a statement of their purchasing fund as at that date.]
§ THE PAYMASTER GENERAL (THE EARL OF SELKIRK)My Lords, in their report of February 17 the Trustees of the Tate Gallery signified their intention of reviving the pre-war custom of issuing an Annual Report in which information would be given of their purchasing policy and a statement of the funds they administer. I am informed that their first Report will deal with the year ending March 31, 1954, and I would ask the noble Lord to await its publication.
§ LORD AMULREEMy Lords, I should like to thank the noble Earl for his reply, and perhaps I may put a supplementary question. Can the noble Earl say whether the Report which he has mentioned will contain a summary of the Gallery's financial affairs before the year ending March 31, 1954, as well as the figures for that year?
§ THE EARL OF SELKIRKI am afraid that I am not in a position to say what the Report will contain, but if I may make a personal guess it is that it will probably give some account of what they were doing before the year ending March 31, 1954. I am sorry that I cannot give 880 any assurance to that effect, but that is my general impression.
§ LORD AMULREEI thank the noble Earl.