HL Deb 24 March 1955 vol 192 cc194-6

5.38 p.m.

Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Viscount Furness.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly.

[The LORD TERRINGTON in the Chair]

THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (LORD TERRINGTON)

My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill be reported to the House, without amendment.

Moved, That the Bill be reported to the House, without amendment.—(Lord Terrington.)

LORD STRABOLGI

My Lords, I should like to say a few words about this Bill, because in my speech last Tuesday I put forward some suggestions for the consideration of the Government. Furthermore, I indicated that I would propose an Amendment at the Committee stage to exclude the more important pictures at the Imperial War Museum from the provisions of Clause 2, except as temporary loans to special exhibitions. However, since the Second Reading I have received certain assurances which do not, I think, make necessary an Amendment to this clause. It appears that the Trustees of the Museum had already anticipated my suggestion and had excluded from loan, except for short-time periods for public exhibition in other galleries and museums, about 1,500 pictures of particular artistic or historical importance. I understand that, in addition, a somewhat larger number of pictures is reserved for display and reference purposes, either to provide adequate representation of a particular artist's work, or to show a particular aspect of war history.

So far as the pictures to be loaned are concerned, it appears that not more than four pictures will be lent at a time to any one institution to which the public are not generally admitted, and that the maximum period of a loan will be two years. I am most grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Glyn (who, I am sorry to say, cannot be here to-day), and also to the noble Earl, Lord Howe, for kindly taking up these points with the Museum authorities. I am also grateful to the Director of the Museum, Mr. Bradley, for his courtesy and helpful information. It is most gratifying to know that my few small suggestions have met with such a ready response.

On Question, Motion agreed to: Bill reported without amendment accordingly.