HC Deb 10 April 1968 vol 762 cc274-5W
Mr. Whitaker

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will approve the grant of special assistance to the British Museum to enable them to improve the display of their collection.

Miss Jennie Lee

Many plans are in progress at the Museum which will result in much needed improvements. The Ethnography Department is being removed to Burlington Gardens. This will greatly improve the display of the ethnographical collections and will also make available much needed additional space in the museum itself. The work of remodelling the galleries of Greek and Roman sculpture, pre-historic, early British and Roman-British antiquities has nearly been completed and the galleries should be reopened to the public by the summer. The Assyrian sculpture gallery should be ready early next year. A start should be made on remodelling the galleries for prints and drawings in April of next year.

Plans are under consideration for the reconstruction of the Greek vase rooms. Antiquities hitherto housed in the King Edward Gallery are being re-deployed. A study is being made with a view to providing a gallery for temporary exhibitions. Other improvements in display, on a smaller scale, are continually being made.