§ Sir L. Ropnerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pictures belonging to the National Gallery are not on exhibition; and where they are kept.
§ Mr. SimonThe present distribution of the National Gallery collection is as follows:
Pictures on exhibition, excluding 25 lent to the Gallery 810* Pictures: (a) on loan to provincial galleries 275 378 (b) available for loan to provincial galleries but not yet asked for 103 Pictures on loan overseas … 20 Other loans … 79 Pictures under or awaiting treatment in the Conservation Depart-ment 65 Pictures in the Reference Section (other than those available for loan to provincial galleries)† 608 Total … 1,960 * There were 935 pictures on exhibition in November, 1957. The number on exhibition has been temporarily reduced by reconstruction work on the West Wing, but it will be possible to exhibit over 1,050 pictures when work is complete. † A substantial number of these are pictures of minor im-portance (including even copies, etc.): others are in need of repair. All of them were available to the public on application until reconstruction work be-gan. The public will be able to view pictures in the Reference Section, which is on the ground floor of the Gallery, more satisfactorily than before when the re-construction is complete.