§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts (1) whether the sum of £367,950, stipulated by the Minister for the Arts to be raised in order to complete the purchase of the Southampton Armour for which he had temporarily withheld an export licence, included the 10 per cent. auctioneers' premium payable by the buyer and the 15 per cent. value added tax chargeable thereon; whether any additional sum was payable, and paid, in effecting the acquisition of the armour by the armouries of Her Majesty's Tower of London which could have been ascertained and notified to him by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art at the time of sending him its recommendation; and if he will make a statement giving particulars of what took place in this regard;
(2) whether the sum of £327,600 stipulated by the Minister for the Arts to be raised by a public institution in 527W the United Kingdom in order to effect the purchase of the drawing by Rubens of a Man in Korean Costume for which he has temporarily withheld an export licence, included the 8 per cent. auctioneers' premium payable by the buyers and the 15 per cent. value added tax chargeable thereon; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWhere an item has been sold at auction, buyer's premium and VAT on that premium are included as part of the specified price. Details of individual export licence cases are treated as commercial information in confidence and can be disclosed only with the applicant's permission.