HL Deb 26 January 1984 vol 447 cc441-4WA
Lord Simon of Glaisdale

asked Her Majesty's Government:

    1. (i) (a) how many applications were made to export works of art in the years 1981 to 1983 inclusive;
    2. (b) what was the total of the prices offered by the proposed importers;
    1. (ii) (a) how many such applications were referred to the Committee on Export of Works of Art in each such year;
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    2. (b) what was the total of the prices offered by the proposed importers in respect of such referrals in each such year;
    1. (iii) (a) in how many of such referrals in each such year did the committee recommend delay in order to enable institutions in the United Kingdom to match the offer made by the proposed importer;
    2. (b) what was the total of such offers to be matched in each such year;
  4. (iv) how many of the institutions envisaged as availing themselves of the opportunity to make such a matching offer in each such year were:
    1. (a) in London;
    2. (b) in Edinburgh;
    3. (c) in England other than in London;
    4. (d) in Scotland other than in Edinburgh;
    5. (e) elsewhere;
    1. (v) (a) in how many cases in each such year did an institution in the United Kingdom make such a matching offer;
    2. (b) what was the total price paid by such institutions in each such year;
  6. (vi) in each such year what was the ultimate destination of each work of art for which an export licence was refused; and what was the price paid.

The Minister of State, Privy Council Office, and Minister for the Arts (The Earl of Gowrie)

(i) The only available statistics for the period specified have been provided by the Department of Trade and Industry and relate to applications up to the end of June 1983:

  1. (a) The total number of applications made in the period July 1980 to June 1983 inclusive was 12,621.
  2. (b) The total of the values shown on the application forms was £845,752,857.

(ii) (a) In 1981, 19 such applications were referred to the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art, nine of which were withdrawn before consideration by the committee.

In 1982, 17 such applications were referred, six of which were withdrawn before consideration.

In 1983, 50 such applications were referred, seven of which were withdrawn before consideration.

(b) The total value shown on the application forms, including those subsequently withdrawn, was as follows:

  • 1981: £6,067,198
  • 1982: £3,560,111
  • 1983: £14,772,536

(iii) (a) Of the items considered by the Committee, export licenses were withheld on the Committee's recommendation in the following number of cases:

  • 1981: 8
  • 1982: 10
  • 1983: 29

(b) The sum total of the prices stipulated in these cases by the Committee in each year was:

  • 1981: £4,410,443
  • 1982: £3,199,955
  • 1983: £7,320,625

(iv) Any publicly-funded institution in the United Kingdom is eligible to make an offer to purchase an export-stopped item at the price stipulated by the Committee. The Committee makes no recommendations about which institutions might attempt particular purchases.

(v) (a) In each year, offers were made by public collections in the following number of cases:

  • 1981: 3
  • 1982: 5
  • 1983: 17 (2 not accepted)
Four items considered by the Committee in 1983 are still the subject of export licence suspensions.

(b) These figures are not held centrally. The sum eventually paid by a public collection in such a case may vary from that specified by the Committee because of tax or other reasons.

(vi) The country of destination of items for which licences were withheld in each year were as follows:

  • 1981: 7 to USA
  • 1982: 8 to USA, 1 to Belgium
  • 1 Jan. to 30 June 1983: 9 to USA, 2 to the 444 Federal Republic of Germany, one each to Australia, Sweden and Switzerland.

In four of the other cases shown in (iii)(a) the applicant did not give permission for the destination to be disclosed in the Annual Report of the Reviewing Committee. Details of the prices paid by public collections whose offers were accepted are not available.

The destinations of items for which export licences have been sought are among the details regarded as commercial in confidence, divulged only with the applicants' permission.