§ LORD MONTAGU OF BEAULIEUMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government when a decision can be expected with regard to special grants which have been applied for by National Museums and other interested bodies to enable them to purchase exhibits of historic interest at present owned by the Royal United Services Institution.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)My Lords, I would refer the noble Lord to the reply I gave on November 8 to the noble Lord, Lord Ailwyn, about the National Maritime Museum. The purchase grant of the Scottish United Services Museum is being increased to enable certain items from the Royal United Services Institution Museum to be obtained. The Trustees of the Imperial War Museum have been advised that a special grant of up to £1,500 will be approved should it prove to be necessary. Any requests for special grant from other national museums for this purpose will be considered on their merits.
§ LORD MONTAGU OF BEAULIEUMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his reply. It was these other institutions in which I was interested. Could the noble Earl say that it is still the policy of the Government to facilitate the keeping of these historic relics in this country?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEYes, my Lords. We will consider any applications that we reoeive from the other museums as sympathetically as we can, having regard to the usual criteria on which we judge these applications.