HL Deb 26 February 2002 vol 631 cc213-7WA
Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art has since 1992 updated its terms of reference and notes of guidance in order to take account of the EC Regulation (3911/92) on the Export of Cultural Goods, whereby an export licence sought for cultural goods originating in a member state may be refused when the presence on the market of the goods in question is not lawful; and [HL2823]

On how many occasions since 1992 they have placed a temporary bar upon the export of cultural goods under the application of the Waverley criteria; and on how many occasions since 1992 they have refused an export licence for cultural goods under the application of the EC Regulation (3911/92) on the Export of Cultural Goods; and [HL2824]

Whether they have appropriate procedures to check and restrict the export of illicit cultural goods, as provided for under EC Regulation (3911/92) on the Export of Cultural Goods. [HL2825]

Baroness Blackstone

The terms of reference of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art have remained the same since its establishment in 1952. They will be considered as part of the current quinquennial review of the reviewing committee. The

Category of object UK Licence* EC Licence*
1. Any cultural object not listed below which is more than 50 years old £39,600 £39,600
2. Manuscripts and documents (not being printed matter), including maps and musical scores, singly or in collections, which are more than 50 years old Zero Zero
3. Archives, and any elements thereof, of any kind, on any medium which are more than 50 years old Zero Zero
4. Architectural, scientific and engineering drawings produced by hand, more than 50 years old Zero £11,900

procedures and guidance for exporters of works of art, taking into account the EC Regulation (3911/92) on the Export of Cultural Goods, is issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and was last updated in 1997.

For the reporting years 1992–2001, the Secretary of State, following the committee's advice, placed a temporary bar on the export of 187 items, and refused a licence on nine occasions, during the same period, because the owner of the item concerned would not accept a matching offer at the recommended fair market price.

Where an object has come into the UK from another EU member state on or after 1 January 1993, either directly or via a non-EU country, applicants requiring an EC licence to export from the UK are required to include with their application evidence that the object was legally despatched from the originating member state. No licence is issued until satisfactory information has been provided by applicants. Three EC licences have been refused as a result of illegal removal from another member state.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the sterling threshold for the requirements for export licences for cultural goods; what representations have been made in the past year by either Ministers or officials of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to the European Commission to raise the threshold; and when was the last occasion upon which the threshold was raised. [HL2874]

Baroness Blackstone

The attached table sets out the thresholds above which an individual export licence is required for the export of cultural goods both under the UK or the EC licencing system. The thresholds for EC licences are those established under EC Regulation 3911/92, on the export of cultural goods, introduced into UK law on 1 April 1993. The UK licence thresholds were last revised at the same time in order to rationalise the UK limits, so far as possible, with those contained in the regulation.

DCMS officials and I use every available opportunity to press for the limits to be updated at least in line with inflation, as provided in the EC Regulation 3911/92. We have also welcomed the Commission's new initiatives to contribute to the effective functioning of the mechanisms set up by the regulation, including making the maximum use of new technologies to improve its implementation.

Category of object UK Licence* EC Licence*
5. Archaeological material or any object more than 50 years old found in UK soil or its terroritorial waters, other than any object buried or concealed for less than 50 years Zero Zero
6. Archaeological material or any object more than 50 years old found in soil or waters outside the UK and its territorial waters which is:
(i) 50–100 years old £39,600 No EC licence required
(ii) more than 100 years old £39,600 Zero
7. Elements forming an integral part of artistic, historical or religious monuments, which have been dismembered, and which are:
(i) 50–100 years old £39,600 No EC licence required
(ii) more than 100 years old £39,600 Zero
8. Incunabula more than 50 years old £39,600 Zero
9. Textiles more than 50 years old (excluding carpets and tapestries in category 30) £6,000 £39,600
10. Photographs, films and negatives thereof, which are more than 50 years old £6,000 £11,900
11. Portraits or likenesses of British historic persons (made otherwise than by photography and excluding a coin) which are more than 50 years old £6,000 £119,000
12. Mosaics (other than those falling in the categories 5, 6 and 7), which are more than 50 years old £39,600 £11,900
13. Drawings executed entirely by hand on any medium and in any material, more than 50 years old £39,600 £11,900
14. Original engravings, prints, serigraphs, and lithographs and their respective plates, and original posters, more than 50 years old £39,600 £11,900
15. Printed maps which are:
(i) 50–200 years old £39,600 No EC licence required
(ii) more than 200 years old £39,600 £11,900
16. Firearms which are:
(i) 50–100 years old £39,600 £39,600
(ii) more than 100 years old £20,000 £39,600
17. Arms and armour more than 50 years old £20,000 £39,600
18. Optical, photographic or cinematographic apparatus more than 50 years old £39,600 £39,600
19. Original sculptures or statuary, and copies produced by the same process as the original, which are more than 50 years old, other than those in categories 5 and 6 £39,600 £39,600
20. Books which are:
(i) 50–100 years old £39,600 No EC licence required
(ii) more than 100 years old £39,600 £39,600
(iii) a collection more than 100 years old £39,600
21. Means of transport which are:
(i) 50–75 years old £39,600 No EC licence required
(ii) more than 75 years old £39,600 £39,600
22. Toys more than 50 years old £39,600 £39,600
23. Pottery, glassware, silver, metalwork and jewellery more than 50 years old £39,600 £39,600
24. Furniture and woodwork more than 50 years old £39,600 £39,600
25. Musical instruments more than 50 years old £39,600 £39,600
26. Clocks and watches and parts thereof, more than 50 years old £39,600 £39,600
27. Wallpaper more than 50 years old £39,600 £39,600
28. Scientific and mechanical material more than 50 years old £39,600 £39,600
29. Carpets and tapestries more than 50 years old £39,600 £39,600
30. Paintings in water-colour, gouache or pastel, which are more than 50 years old, other than portraits of British historic persons in category 11 £39,600 £23,800
31. Paintings in oil or tempera, which are more than 50 years old, other than portraits of British historic persons in category 11 £119,000 £119,000

Category of object UK Licence* EC Licence*
32. Collections of and specimens from zoological, botanical, mineralogical or anatomical collections more than 50 years old No UK licence required £39,600
33. Collections of historical, palaeontological, ethnographic or numismatic interest (other than No UK licence objects in categories 5 and 6) more than 50 years old No UK licence required £39,600

* A UK licence is required for the export of cultural goods to an EU member state. Most cultural goods exported to a non-EU destination require an EC licence but in those cases where the UK value is lower than the EU threshold, a UK licence is required.

The UK threshold values were last reviewed and raised in 1993, in order to rationalise the UK and EC limits so far as possible.