§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will reopen negotiations with the executors of the late Lord Roseberry with a view to accepting the major works of art from Mentmore in satisfaction of estate duties.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettI would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Staffordshire, South-West (Mr. Cormack) today.
§ Mr. Cormackasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will use the resources of the Land Fund to acquire Mentmore Towers for the nation.
§ Mr. Joel Barnett, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 3rd February 1977; Vol. 925, c. 311], gave the following information:
The National Land Fund may be used to pay Inland Revenue when property is accepted in lieu of estate duty or capital transfer tax or to reimburse the Secretary of State for the Environment when he acquires buildings of outstanding historic or architectural interest. Mentmore Towers has not been offered in satisfaction of death duties. If sufficient funds were to be offered from private sources towards the cost of acquiring and running the property the Secretary of State for the Environment would certainly consider any renewed offer from Lord Rosebery. An offer of a number of individual items from the collection at Mentmore in satisfaction of death duties is now being considered.