Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the sale of a mummified human head and a dangerous tribal skull from Borneo by On the Square Emporium Ltd in Belfast, whether they have any plans to restrict the sale of human remains by auction houses.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government is aware of the distress caused by the sale of human remains, via auction or any other means, and finds this activity abhorrent.
Under the current framework it is for auction houses to decide whether to prohibit sales of human remains, taking into account their own professional standards. We expect those involved to strongly consider the ethical implications of this activity. All human remains should be treated with respect and dignity.
We recognise that further work is needed to understand these specific issues and their scope. We remain committed to exploring ways to protect the safety and dignity of the deceased, including the treatment of human remains over 100 years old.