§ LORD TREFGARNEasked Her Majesty's Government whether their attention has been drawn to the continuing exports to the U.S.A. of historical documents and works of art of incalculable value, as for example the recent export of the correspondence of Gouverneur Morris containing letters of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon, Talleyrand and others, and whether Her Majesty's Government, if they should feel themselves unable to 425WA apply more effective restrictions upon such exports, will consider whether they can take any initiative having in view the establishment of some British-American body for the joint ownership and preservation of movable possessions of priceless value to both countries.
§ THE PAYMASTER GENERAL (THE EARL OF SELKIRK)The policy to be adopted in controlling the export of works of art and historic documents was fully considered by Her Majesty's Government in the light of the recommendations of the Committee on the Export of Works of Artet cetera under the chairmanship of the Lord Waverley, who reported in September, 1952. The present arrangements for export control are based on the Committee's recommendations: Her Majesty's Government consider them adequate to conserve our 426WA national heritage and do not consider it necessary to amend the existing procedure.