HC Deb 05 July 1994 vol 246 cc180-1W
Dr. Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he has taken to prevent stolen antiquities, illegally removed from their country of origin, free access into the United Kingdom; what taxes and import duties are applied to imported antiquities; what investigations were made regarding the legality of the 12-tonne load of antiquities recently taken from an ancient site in Lebanon and sent to a London dealer via Larnaca and Ipswich; and if he will ratify the 1970 UNESCO convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing illicit import, exportation and transfer of cultural property.

Mr. Brooke

The restriction of imports into the United Kingdom is the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Taxes and import duties applied to imported antiquities are also a matter for the Chancellor, although there are no import duties at the moment. Any investigation of stolen antiquities in London would be for the police to take forward. In response to our inquiries, neither the Metropolitan police nor the antiquities trade has any knowledge of the Lebanese objects. The Government have no plans to ratify the 1970 UNESCO convention.

Dr. Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he took to prevent the sale at Sotheby of the 17 Century Joachim Wtewal painting, stolen from the east German Schloss museum; if he will condemn Switzerland for giving clear title to stolen goods kept in its vaults for five years; and if he supports European Union regulations on the control of the illegal export of cultural property.

Mr. Brooke

I have no powers to intervene in the sale of alleged stolen objects. This is a matter for the police. The laws governing title to stolen goods vary from country to country and I do not think it would be appropriate for me to comment on those in force in any particular state. I fully support the principles of the European Community directive on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a member state. That has been implemented via a statutory instrument under the European Communities Act 1972, and entered into force on 2 March 1994.