HC Deb 04 August 1980 vol 990 c21W
Mr. Faulds

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, in view of its importance and the fact that its companion volume is owned by Edinburgh university, he will arrange that a special grant should be made to purchase for a British institution Rashid Al-Din's World History, a Persian manuscript of 1314 which was sold at Sotheby's recently for £850,000.

Mr. St. John-Stevas

The question of financial help in such a case could arise only if an export licence were withheld and a public collection wishing to acquire the item did not have the necessary funds to pay the specified price.

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