Art Works and Human Remains: Repatriation

(asked on 22nd June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what processes his Department has in place to respond to requests for repatriations of colonial artefacts and human remains from UK museums, universities and other institutions; and what plans the Government has for an audit to be undertaken of such items.


Answered by
Caroline Dinenage Portrait
Caroline Dinenage
This question was answered on 26th June 2020

Decisions relating to museum collections are a matter for the trustees of each museum, who operate independently of the government. This includes the institutions’ responses to requests for repatriation or restitution for colonial artefacts and human remains.


The Department is committed to supporting museums in dealing confidently with all aspects of restitution. This includes supporting ongoing work led by Arts Council England on creating new guidance for the museum sector. This will create a comprehensive and practical resource for museums to support them in dealing with all aspects of restitution.

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