§ 37. Mr. DalyellTo ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on actions by national museums and galleries in relation to stolen art treasures.
§ Mr. RentonOur museums and galleries comply with a voluntary code of practice under which they agree not to acquire an object unless satisfied that it has not been acquired in, or exported from, its country of origin, or any intermediate country in which it may have been legally owned, in violation of that country's laws. This includes objects originating in the United Kingdom. I am not aware of any instances where this code of practice has been broken. However, we are currently considering, with our European Community partners, a draft directive from the Commission on the restitution of illegally exported cultural objects.