§ 3.7 p.m.
§ 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 how many claims have been made over the past five years for loss of or damage to items from the national museums on loan to other museums and exhibitions but indemnified by the Government for insurance purposes; and what was the cost involved.
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, no such claims have been made over the past five years in respect of loans from the national museums.
§ Lord MONTAGU of BEAULIEUMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for 860 that Answer. In view of the negligible amount which past experience has shown to be involved in such indemnities, will my noble friend do his best to persuade the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to introduce an amendment to the Heritage Bill in another place so as to widen Ministers' discretion with regard to indemnifying objects and loans from private persons to non-national museums? Will he agree that such an amendment would be very welcome to the museum world and would also help to widen the spread of our national treasures to the Provinces and enable tourists and other visitors to appreciate them?
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, in the Second Reading debate in another place my right honourable friend indicated that, if such matters were raised, he would be willing to consider them during the Committee stage.
§ Lord FLETCHERMy Lords, in view of the noble Lord's original Answer, will he agree that all the national museums take special care when they send any of their items elsewhere; they take special precautions to ensure the safety of those items against loss or damage, whether in transit or on arrival?
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONYes, my Lords; I think that we can be very pleased and very proud that there has been such a good record in this respect.
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, does not this happen already? If a valuable work of art from a private collection is on loan to a national museum, is not that indemnified by the Government? It always used to be.
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONYes, my Lords. As the noble Lord will be aware, there is a case at present, namely, the Post-Impressionist Exhibition at Burlington House. At the moment it is a concession that the Government are giving; they are not statutorily bound to do so.
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord. I am very glad that the Government have done something with which we can agree.