HC Deb 04 March 1983 vol 38 cc260-1W
Mr. Faulds

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will specify the museums, galleries and libraries in the United Kingdom to which the authorities of each of the following institutions are respectively empowered to transfer objects vested in them (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the National gallery, (c) the British Museum, (d) the Museum of London, and (e) the British Library; whether he will specify any other similar institutions the scope of whose powers in this respect is identical to that of those five; and whether he will list all those national museums, galleries and libraries in the United Kingdom, other than the Wallace collection, which possess no such powers of transfer.

Mr. Channon

Specific statutory power exists for the institutions named to transfer objects to other named institutions as follows:

  1. (a) Tate gallery—to the National gallery, and any institution listed in schedule 1 to the National Gallery and Tate Gallery Act 1954 ("the 1954 Act");
  2. (b) National gallery—to the Tate gallery; and, subject to certain restrictions, to the Imperial war museum and the National maritime museum;
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  3. (c) British museum—to the British museum (natural history), British Library and any institution listed in schedule 1 to the 1954 Act;
  4. (d) Museum of London—to the National gallery, Tate gallery, and any institution listed in schedule 1 to the 1954 Act;
  5. (e) British Library—to the British museum (natural history), and National maritime museum,

The institutions listed in the first schedule to the National Gallery and Tate Galleries Act 1954 are as follows:

  • The British museum
  • The Imperial war museum
  • The London museum
  • The National galleries of Scotland
  • The National library of Scotland
  • The National library of Wales
  • The National maritime musuem
  • The National museum of antiquities of Scotland
  • The National museum of Wales
  • The National portrait gallery
  • The Royal Scottish museum
  • The Science museum
  • The Victoria and Albert museum

The original list of institutions in schedule 1 to the 1954 Act now includes the Ulster museum, added by statutory instrument in 1962. By virtue of section 7(2) of the Museum of London Act 1965, the Museum of London is also deemed to belong to that list in place of the former London museum.

The National Heritage Bill currently before the House would empower the new boards of trustees of the Victoria and Albert museum and the Science museum to transfer objects to the institutions specified in the Bill.

None of the remaining institutions in England listed in Schedule 1 to the 1954 Act possesses specific statutory authority, in the legislation establishing it, to transfer objects to other named institutions.

Questions relating to national museums, galleries and libraries in parts of the United Kingdom other than England are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as appropriate.

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