HL Deb 16 January 2002 vol 630 cc165-6WA
Lord Freyberg

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Blackstone on 4 December (WA 127–128), whether they intend to draw up policy guidelines for loans abroad from government-sponsored museums that would clarify:

  1. (a) what constitutes a "long-term" loan:
  2. (b) whether the lending institution will be required to maximise income from the loan, or merely to recover its costs;
    3. WA166
  3. (c) whether they would require the museum to identify those items that would never be included in overseas loans of this nature; and
  4. (d) whether there will be a limit on the number of objects that can be loaned abroad at any one time; and [HL1938]

Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Blackstone on 4 December (WA 127–128), for how long the 350 items envisaged for loan to the Owlsley Brown Frazier Historical Arms Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, will be on loan; and [HL1939]

Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Blackstone on 4 December (WA 127–128), whether the Royal Armouries intention is to maximise income from the planned loan of items to the Owlsley Brown Frazier Historical Arms Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, or merely to recover costs; and [HL1940]

Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Blackstone on 4 December (WA 127–128), whether they will require the Royal Armouries to ensure that the items for long-term loan to the Owlsley Brown Frazier Historical Arms Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, are restricted to what would normally be held in their reserve collection. [HL1941]

The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone)

There are no plans as at this stage to introduce policy guidelines on the loan of items from government-sponsored museums. This is a matter for the trustees of those museums with reference to their governing legislation.

The length of the proposed loan of individual objects, amounting to less than 1 per cent of the Royal Armouries entire collection, to the Owlsley Brown Frazier Historical Arms Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, has yet to be determined. The terms and conditions of such a loan will be in line with the armouries' current loans policy and, as with other loans currently made by the armouries, will be monitored and reviewed regularly. The Royal Armouries' intention is that the planned loan will be on a strict cost recovery basis. However, the armouries will seek to use its presence in the United States to enhance its academic status and generate fundraising revenue at no expense to the taxpayer.

It is for the trustees of the Royal Armouries to determine which objects to lend from their collections in accordance with section 21 of the National Heritage Act 1983, and what terms and conditions to attach to such a loan.