§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will set up an independent committee to examine the history of the ownership of the papers which the Churchill family have sold to the national heritage memorial fund; and if the family has a right to charge for their reproduction. [22528]
§ Mr. DorrellI will not be setting up an independent committee to examine the history of ownership of the papers which have been acquired for Churchill college, Cambridge through lottery funds distributed by the national heritage memorial fund.
Subject to the fair dealing and any other available exceptions in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, it is for the copyright owners to license reproductions of copyright material and to charge for such reproductions if they think it appropriate. The owners of the copyright in the non-state papers sold to Churchill college retain this right in those papers but have granted a licence to enable the papers to be copied without payment of a royalty in the circumstances referred to in sections 37 to 43 of the 1988 Act—copying by libraries and archives. The Crown has retained similar rights in respect of the state papers and has also granted a similar licence.
§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if he will publish the names of those people who advised the national heritage memorial fund on the valuation of the Churchill papers; [22117]
(2) if he will publish both the identities of the valuers and their valuation advice for all future purchases financed by the national heritage memorial fund; [22118]
(3) if he will publish all the valuation advice received by the national heritage memorial fund. [22119]
§ Mr. Dorrell[holding answer 2 May 1995]: This is a matter for the national heritage memorial fund, which is an independent body. I understand, however, that the chairman has written to the hon. Member. I have asked him to place copies of his letter in the Library of the House.
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§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage who will grant requests to reproduce documents purchased from the Churchill family by the national heritage memorial fund; and what steps will be taken to ensure that the family do not charge for the reproduction of any document at any time covered by the Official Secrets Acts. [22623]
§ Mr. DorrellPermission to reproduce the documents from the Churchill archive for commercial purposes will have to be sought from the copyright owners. Copyright in the non-state papers is vested in the Churchill family, copyright in the state paper is vested in the Crown.
Any person who wishes to reproduce for commercial purposes a work in which copyright subsists must ensure that he or she has the appropriate permission.