§ Mr. BowisTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will further defer a decision on the application for a licence to export Antonio Canova's The Three Graces; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RidleyAfter consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts, I have decided to extend the present period of deferral for the application for a licence to export The Three Graces until Wednesday 4 April.
Export control procedures affecting heritage items have been under review, including the policy of deferring a decision on an export licence application to enable a United Kingdom public institution to make an offer to purchase. As a result, I propose henceforth to take account of an offer from any source, whether public or private. I am ready to consider any representations by persons affected by this change of policy, which will apply both to new applications and to outstanding applications such as The Three Graces; other deferrals, including those for interim review, due to expire before 4 April will also be extended to that date.