HC Deb 21 December 1960 vol 632 c183W
Mr. Collard

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is yet in a position to make any further statement about the possibility of introducing amending legislation to enable the trustees of the Tate Gallery to lend pictures for other than public exhibition.

Mr. Selwyn Lloyd

I find that there are considerable difficulties in the way of the suggestion which my hon. Friend put forward on the 29th November,c. 182. Before the passing of the National Gallery and Tate Gallery Act, the Tate had several pictures on loan to various Service Colleges, including Cranwell, which had fourteen. These loans were made on the Trustees' own authority. After the Act was passed defining the Tate Gallery's powers to loan, however, they decided to withdraw the Service loans which the Act did not cover.

An additional complication in the case of "The Lament for Icarus" is that it is a Chantrey purchase; and the Chantrey Trustees have said that they would prefer pictures bought from the Chantrey Bequest not to be lent for other than public exhibition.