§ Mr. FaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if Her Majesty's Government will now ratify(a) the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970 and (b) the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen and Illegally Exported Cultural Objects 1995. [108999]
§ Mr. Chris SmithHer Majesty's Government has decided not to sign the 1970 UNESCO Convention because significant practical difficulties remain in implementing its provisions into UK law. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 7 February 2000,Official Report, columns 8–9W, regarding the Government's decision about the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention.