Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure (a) the preservation of national treasures and (b) that a greater proportion of those treasures are placed on public display.

We are committed not only to preserving national treasures but to making sure that the public have the greatest possible access to them. In support of that aim, we have announced our plans to introduce a new class of treasure under the Treasure Act 1996, which will be the subject of debate in both Houses.

The current definition of treasure is limited mainly to finds made of precious metals: the proposed new class will extend that definition to base metal finds of outstanding historical, archaeological or cultural importance. This will mean that finds such as the Crosby Garrett Helmet will be offered to accredited museums to acquire, rather than being lost to private ownership. We are also introducing a revised Code of Practice which will make the treasure process clearer and easier to negotiate.

In addition, we have a number of statutory schemes like the UK’s export licensing system for cultural objects which includes measures which seek to prevent national treasures from being permanently exported abroad by providing an opportunity for acquisition by a UK buyer committed to ensuring public access. Alongside that we also have the Cultural Gift and Acceptance in Lieu schemes – tax rebate schemes which seek to encourage people to donate national treasures to public institutions.

The care, protection, access and display of cultural property is the responsibility of museums. Programmes like the £4 million DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund help enable this, providing funding for museums to open up their galleries and collections more for public access as well as DCMS’s £82 million Museum Estate and Development Fund, which is helping scores of regional museums to undertake essential maintenance and safeguard access to their buildings and collections.