PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Amaravati Sculptures (16 May 2023)

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions Ministers in (a) her Department or (b) other Departments have had with their Indian counterparts on the ownership and location of the Amaravati Marbles; and if she will make a statement.

Asked by:
Navendu Mishra (Labour)

Ministers in the department and in other departments have not had any discussions about the Amaravati Marbles with Indian counterparts.

The Amaravati Marbles are lawfully owned by the British Museum, where they are on public display, and can be visited for free by the millions of visitors who go to the museum each year.

The British Museum operates independently of the Government, and decisions relating to the care and management of the museum's collections are a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum.

The British Museum, as well as some other national museums, is prevented by law from removing objects from their collections, with a limited number of exceptions - none of which apply in this case. The Government has no plan to change the law.

Answered by:
Sir John Whittingdale (Conservative)
24 May 2023