Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum (Hansard, 15 July 1998)

HL Deb 15 July 1998 vol 592 cc251-2 251

§ Lord Hooson asked Her Majesty's Government:

§ What steps they are taking to ensure that the National Museum authorities in Wales resite and rebuild the Industrial and Maritime Museum as soon as possible.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn)
My Lords, the decision on the re-siting of the Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum is a matter for the council of the National Museums and Galleries of Wales. The museum has already issued a consultation document on this subject and will be deciding its future policy in the light of responses to that document.

§ Lord Hooson
My Lords, does the Minister agree that this is a national issue in Wales and that the money realised by the sale of this site should be ring-fenced for the future re-establishment of the Industrial and Maritime Museum? Would he not agree that many of the treasures at Cardiff—for example, the Gregynog Impressionist collection in the national museum and the Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre in Cardiff—were all products of the industrial and maritime legacy of the 19th century and early 20th century in Wales? That is where the money came from and therefore is it not most important for Wales that this part of the museum is re-established as soon as possible?

§ Lord Williams of Mostyn
My Lords, I entirely agree with what the noble Lord, Lord Hooson, has said. The difficulty was that, in all the circumstances, there was no room for expansion on the site formerly occupied by the Industrial and Maritime Museum and the magnificent collection was not capable of being properly displayed. Undoubtedly, the National Museums and Galleries of Wales are national treasures. The Impressionist collection is one of the best in the world and the museum at St. Fagans is, in my comparative travels, undoubtedly the best in the world. The £7.5 million raised will not be dissipated for other purposes. The replies to the consultative document are due in by the end of September and we have every confidence that the museum will be re-established on an appropriate site, not necessarily in Cardiff.

§ Lord Roberts of Conwy
My Lords, will the Government give every encouragement to the national museum to exhibit the magnificent artefacts at its storage premises at Nantgarw, which is planned for later this year? Furthermore, will the Government give every 252 encouragement to the museum to find a more permanent home for these wonderful reminders of our industrial and maritime past?

§ Lord Williams of Mostyn
My Lords, yes, the site at Nantgarw has been purchased. As the noble Lord implies, it is important that in the interim it is not used as a storage facility and there will be public access under appropriate circumstances. As regards a future establishment, the Government are entirely supportive of the desire to re-establish the museum on a worthy site. Various tenders have been made, including Swansea, Carmarthen, Newport, Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypool, Blaenafon, Caernarfon and Pwllheli, but no decision has yet been made.