§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the fact that the grant to the Trustees of the British Museum for binding and for the purchase of foreign books has remained at the same figure for over twenty years; and whether, in view of the increase of scientific books of high value published on the Continent, particularly in France, Germany, and Italy and also in the United States, he will provide in the next Estimates for an additional £10,000, so as to enable the British Museum to preserve its reputation as containing the greatest library in the world?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe Grant to the Trustees of the British Museum for book-binding has not remained at the same figure for twenty years. It varies year by year in accordance with the estimates put forward by the Trustees and sanctioned by the Treasury. There is no separate Grant for the purchase of foreign books. The total Grant-in-Aid for acquisitions for the whole of the Museum has varied more than once in the last twenty years, though it was stationary from 1897 to 1911. The allocation of the Grant-in-Aid between the several Departments rests with the Trustees. It is believed that the British 833W Museum expenditure on foreign books greatly exceeds that of any other library in Europe.