SECURITY OF NATIONAL ART COLLECTIONS

Motion Text

That this House regrets the decision of the Swiss canton of Valais to seize paintings belonging to the Pushkin Museum of Moscow; affirms that national cultural goods are public property and should not be confiscated as collateral against government debts; notes that Russian museums are now considering a moratorium on overseas loans; is concerned that this may jeopardise future exhibitions in the UK including the Road to Byzantium exhibition at Somerset House and the Kandinsky exhibition at the Tate Modern; and calls on the Government to adopt anti-seizure legislation to guarantee the security of cultural goods on loan from other countries.