§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will extend indemnity arrangements by the Government to cover the loans of artefacts from private owners to provincial museums and between provincial museums as proposed in Recommendation 17.25 of the Tenth Report of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries.
§ Mr. OakesIt would be premature to attempt to decide this matter for the reasons I gave to my hon. Friend in my reply of 26th April 1978.—[Vol. 948, c. 573.]
§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Government will reaffirm the arrangements for special purchase grants for the acquisition of important heritage objects by museums as proposed by Recommendation 17.32 of the Tenth Report of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries.
§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she will take measures to ensure that national museums are open on all public holidays, except Christmas Day and Good Friday, as they used to be, as proposed by Recommendation 17.27 of the Tenth Report of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries.
§ Mr. OakesResponsibility for deciding upon the eight National Trustee museums and galleries should open to the public rests with the trustees concerned. 375W The Science and the V. & A. Museums take part in the joint discussions leading to these decisions and follow the agreed pattern of opening. The museum managements have the interests of the public very much in mind when they negotiate on bank holiday arrangements with the representatives of the museum staff.
§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how long it will take to set up a Housing the Museums fund to assist with building of non-national museums as proposed in Recommendations 17.15 of the Tenth Report of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries.
§ Mr. OakesThis proposal raises many difficulties, not least financial, and I can see no early prospect of the necessary funds becoming available, having regard to all the other claims for any additional resources which might be found for the arts and the national heritage.
§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she accepts that the national institutions, museums and galleries of Scotland and Wales should continue to develop as part of the United Kingdom institutions even after devolution, as proposed in the Recommendation 17.6 of the Tenth Report of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries.
§ Mr. OakesMy right hon. Friend will consider this recommendation in due course, in consultation with the responsible authorities in Scotland and Wales.