My Lords, I share with all noble Lords who have spoken in the debate gratitude to the noble Viscount, Lord Eccles, for raising such an important issue. He has given us a chance to explore—all too briefly, but all too accurately—the issues. My   problem is that, at the last count, I...

My Lords, I share with all noble Lords who have spoken in the debate gratitude to the noble Viscount, Lord Eccles, for raising such an important issue. He has given us a chance to explore—all too briefly, but all too accurately—the issues. My   problem is that, at the last count, I...

My Lords, I thank all Members who made such wide-ranging and interesting contributions to the debate. I also thank the Minister for the replies he gave to the points raised. I beg leave to withdraw the Motion for Papers. Motion for Papers, by leave, withdrawn.

My Lords, I thank all Members who made such wide-ranging and interesting contributions to the debate. I also thank the Minister for the replies he gave to the points raised. I beg leave to withdraw the Motion for Papers. Motion for Papers, by leave, withdrawn.

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Addington, as he touched on one of the central themes of the museum of which I have the privilege to be the chairman—unpaid, like the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, is of the Railway Heritage Committee—namely, the National...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Addington, as he touched on one of the central themes of the museum of which I have the privilege to be the chairman—unpaid, like the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, is of the Railway Heritage Committee—namely, the National...

My Lords, it is a disappointment not to be following the noble Lord, Lord Wilson of Tillyorn, but it is a great pleasure to be following my noble friend Lord Waldegrave of North Hill, whose personal scope so impressively covers both science and the humanities. I congratulate my noble friend...

My Lords, it is a disappointment not to be following the noble Lord, Lord Wilson of Tillyorn, but it is a great pleasure to be following my noble friend Lord Waldegrave of North Hill, whose personal scope so impressively covers both science and the humanities. I congratulate my noble friend...

Lords debate on motion to call attention to the value of museums. Motion withdrawn.

Lords debate on motion to call attention to the value of museums. Motion withdrawn.

rose to call attention to the value of museums; and to move for Papers. The noble Viscount said: My Lords, I look forward to this debate on the value of museums. My interests in museums are, first, the Bowes Museum in County Durham, of which I am a trustee and...

rose to call attention to the value of museums; and to move for Papers. The noble Viscount said: My Lords, I look forward to this debate on the value of museums. My interests in museums are, first, the Bowes Museum in County Durham, of which I am a trustee and...

My Lords, when I saw the topic of this debate and decided to put my name down to speak to it, I was inspired by something that the noble Viscount, Lord Eccles, mentioned: memories of enjoying museums. In my earliest years in my home city of Norwich, people went to...

My Lords, when I saw the topic of this debate and decided to put my name down to speak to it, I was inspired by something that the noble Viscount, Lord Eccles, mentioned: memories of enjoying museums. In my earliest years in my home city of Norwich, people went to...

My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to follow the noble Viscount and to congratulate him on securing this debate and for giving such an excellent speech in describing in relatively few words the profound effect for good that museums have on our society. Indeed, they contribute so much and...

My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to follow the noble Viscount and to congratulate him on securing this debate and for giving such an excellent speech in describing in relatively few words the profound effect for good that museums have on our society. Indeed, they contribute so much and...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Eccles for introducing this timely debate. I was particularly interested in his focus on enjoyment of museums because we sometimes forget that it is an important part of why we go. Obviously, we go to learn, for scholarship and for lots of...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Eccles for introducing this timely debate. I was particularly interested in his focus on enjoyment of museums because we sometimes forget that it is an important part of why we go. Obviously, we go to learn, for scholarship and for lots of...

My Lords, it has been a fascinating debate. It is not often in this House, first, that one has to follow the noble Lord, Lord Brooke, which is always difficult; but also that one thinks that one would like to have a rather longer debate. We have had some excellent,...

My Lords, it has been a fascinating debate. It is not often in this House, first, that one has to follow the noble Lord, Lord Brooke, which is always difficult; but also that one thinks that one would like to have a rather longer debate. We have had some excellent,...

My Lords, I am not tying investment in museums with the question of the success of the London bid. Rather, I seek to build on the point made by noble Lords around the House: the capital city needs to nurture, cherish and develop its cultural resources because they make it...

My Lords, I am not tying investment in museums with the question of the success of the London bid. Rather, I seek to build on the point made by noble Lords around the House: the capital city needs to nurture, cherish and develop its cultural resources because they make it...

My Lords, I am sorry to press the Minister, but does that mean that he is giving us the assurance that the noble Lord, Lord Waldegrave, was asking for and is of some concern to museum directors?

My Lords, I am sorry to press the Minister, but does that mean that he is giving us the assurance that the noble Lord, Lord Waldegrave, was asking for and is of some concern to museum directors?

My Lords, I apologise to the noble Lord. I recognise the importance of the point that he raises, and I do not doubt that it is relevant to the expenditure commitments of my department. However, we have had a debate that has had a coherence to it because Members of...

My Lords, I apologise to the noble Lord. I recognise the importance of the point that he raises, and I do not doubt that it is relevant to the expenditure commitments of my department. However, we have had a debate that has had a coherence to it because Members of...

My Lords, I apologise for intervening at the end of the Minister’s remarks when I was not able to listen to the whole debate, but I understand that the topic I wish to approach him on has not been covered. The Minister may have seen last week in the newspapers...

My Lords, I apologise for intervening at the end of the Minister’s remarks when I was not able to listen to the whole debate, but I understand that the topic I wish to approach him on has not been covered. The Minister may have seen last week in the newspapers...

My Lords, I have sought to indicate in broad terms the light touch adopted by the department. We have never received a complaint from the National Heritage Memorial Fund about a heavy-handed approach adopted by the department. It is not the department’s role to direct, but rather from to time...

My Lords, I have sought to indicate in broad terms the light touch adopted by the department. We have never received a complaint from the National Heritage Memorial Fund about a heavy-handed approach adopted by the department. It is not the department’s role to direct, but rather from to time...

My Lords, just before we finish, would the Minister be kind enough to write to me on the subject of the directions from the DCMS to the National Heritage Memorial Fund and thus to the Heritage Lottery Fund under its Acts of Parliament?

My Lords, just before we finish, would the Minister be kind enough to write to me on the subject of the directions from the DCMS to the National Heritage Memorial Fund and thus to the Heritage Lottery Fund under its Acts of Parliament?

By how much he plans to increase the government grant-in-aid to the National Railway Museum in the current financial year and in future years to compensate for the museum's loss of the right to claim redundant railway equipment at no cost from certain railway undertakings. - Inc fig.

By how much he plans to increase the government grant-in-aid to the National Railway Museum in the current financial year and in future years to compensate for the museum's loss of the right to claim redundant railway equipment at no cost from certain railway undertakings. - Inc fig.

If he will comment on Government support for the National Collections of Industrial and Marine Bacteria.

If he will comment on Government support for the National Collections of Industrial and Marine Bacteria.

What commission his Department paid to NCIMB Ltd., in respect of the National Collections of Industrial and Marine Bacteria. - Inc figure.

What commission his Department paid to NCIMB Ltd., in respect of the National Collections of Industrial and Marine Bacteria. - Inc figure.