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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what is the total number and value of artwork owned by the UK government is in the national collection which is (a) on public display (b) in storage (c) loaned to organisations, institutions or individuals in the UK (d) loaned to organisations, institutions or individuals outside the UK.

Please note that not all artworks owned by the UK government are in the Government Art Collection. 15,118 artworks are in the Government Art Collection (GAC). 8,250 of these are on display in public exhibitions and across the Government’s global estate. These works are seen by hundreds of thousands visitors each year, promoting British art and contributing to cultural diplomacy in over 125 countries. 6,868 are not currently on display; of these some will be awaiting conservation and many will be reserved for a display or exhibition loan. 156 artworks are currently on loan to public exhibitions in the UK and 23 are on loan to public exhibitions outside of the UK.

Under the new government the Government Art Collection has radically expanded its public engagement programme, sharing more of the artworks with communities through partnerships and by participating in local, national and international events. In 2025 the Collection was shown in Bradford for I AM ME, an exhibition curated by 125 young people seen by 22,000 visitors. In 2026 over sixty works will be shown at The Box in Plymouth, selected and co-curated by a group of young people. Since July 2024, 62% more artworks have been loaned from the GAC to public exhibitions.

An estimated value of the Collection cannot be provided. Like other national collections, the GAC is not normally commercially insured nor treated as a financial asset. Against a background of constant fluctuations in the art markets, current valuations of every work of art in the Collection cannot be maintained. By governing legislation the national collections held by DCMS-sponsored museums are held in trust for the nation by trustees, not owned by the Government.