HL Deb 18 March 2002 vol 632 cc123-4WA
Lord Freyberg

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 12 February (WA 138–39), whether there will be a bidding process when the silver is offered for sale to institutions "willing to display the items to the public", or whether preferred institutions will be selected; and, if the latter, by whom and on what criteria; and [HL2917]

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 12 February (WA 138–39), whether they think it appropriate for a national musuem to bid for these items, if the institution would have to use public or charitable funds to secure them; and [HL2918]

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 12 February (WA 138–39), whether they intend to disperse the four lots among a number of different instititions or to keep them together as part of a dispersed collection; and [HL2919]

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 12 February (WA 138–39), whether they will stipulate conditions as to what constitutes an acceptable level of public access; and, if so, whether the absence of admission charges will be one of those conditions. [HL2920]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

Current plans are for the Government to identify institutions willing to display the items to the UK public. These institutions would then be invited to submit bids against specified criteria. These criteria would cover both the arrangements for display and the proposed price. Admission charges will not be a criterion; nor will the bidding institution's source of funding. The items would be sold as a single group.

Lord Freyberg

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 12 February (WA 138–39), whether they will list all the assets of cultural significance that each government department has identified among its other holdings. [HL2921]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

The material assets of government departments are identified in their resource accounts and in their respective entries in the National Asset Register.