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Museum Exchanges (Greece)

7. Mr. Andrew Dismore (Hendon) (Lab): What discussions she has had with the Greek government over exchanges of artefacts for exhibition in museums. [166146]

The Minister for the Arts (Estelle Morris): Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have had discussions with the current Greek Government about such exchanges.

Mr. Dismore : It will come as no surprise to my right hon. Friend that I am particularly concerned about the Parthenon sculptures. Does she believe that the offer advanced by the previous Greek Government was good, in that it would not only have helped to deal with the British Museum's financial problems through the extra income that such exchange programmes would have generated, but would have provided additional resources and exhibitions for regional museums, which currently miss out because the Parthenon sculptures are in London? Is it not about time that the sculptures went back to their proper home in Athens?

Estelle Morris: I am not surprised that my hon. Friend's question is about the Parthenon sculptures; I recognise his keen interest in that subject, and his expertise. However, the position in law is that this is a matter for the British Museum; it should stay that way, and it will. There is a lot of difference between what people speculate about and read in the press, and what is in any offer that has come from the Greek Government to the British Museum. My understanding is that the matter to which my hon. Friend referred never went in detail to the British Museum to enable it to reply. Any offer that the Greek Government wish to make will be sent to the British Museum, and I have no doubt that if that happened, the museum would consider it and reply. This is not a matter for Governments of any political hue, and that will remain the position of the Labour party.
 
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Mr. Boris Johnson (Henley) (Con): Does the Minister agree that there is no point whatsoever in sending the Parthenon marbles back to Athens, since there is no prospect of those sculptures ever being viewed in situ on the temple? To do so would be to rip the heart out of the British Museum, which is one of the great cultural landmarks of Europe, and whose defence ought to be a matter for the Minister and her Ministry.

Estelle Morris: There are many facets to this debate, and I take the hon. Gentleman's points. The British Museum contains world collections and receives more than 4.6 million visitors every year. People can see historic artefacts and heritage items gathered in one place. Although this is not quite to do with the hon. Gentleman's point, the museum in Athens that could house the Parthenon sculptures, were they to be returned, is not yet ready, and we have no date for when it will be. In that respect, he was right. I am pleased that the sculptures are in the British Museum and part of a world collection. I am pleased that the number of people able to visit is increasing year by year.

Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con): I congratulate the Minister on that answer and on not listening to and succumbing to the siren voices of the decontextualising iconoclasts on her Back Benches. Will she send her congratulations to the New Democracy party Government in Greece, who have put the brakes on the Acropolis museum, which risks destroying seven levels of archaeology across a 10-acre site, including sculpture factories and other important relics? Will she concentrate on putting the marbles in the place where they are best viewed by the most people in a proper classical context—the British Museum?

Estelle Morris: I take the hon. Gentleman's last point; the sculptures are well displayed and there are more than 4 million visitors a year. That will continue.

We have had no formal approaches or statements from the new Greek Government about the museum or their attitude towards the Parthenon sculptures, although I might be able to guess what those would be. I join the hon. Gentleman in rejoicing at the fact that the United Kingdom has a museum of the stature of the British Museum, exhibiting such artefacts in such a wonderful way that people not only from this country but from throughout Europe and the world can see what we have to offer.

Gambling

8. Mr. John Greenway (Ryedale) (Con): What plans she has to promote social responsibility within the gambling industry. [166147]

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell): I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman and his Committee for its excellent work in scrutinising the draft gambling Bill. The Government will respond in the next two months. This is another good example of how pre-legislative scrutiny for Bills of this kind is critical to ensuring that a proper balance is struck between modernising the law and the right level of protection for the public. It is important to make it clear that the modernisation of what are widely
 
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recognised as outdated gambling laws will be characterised not by a free-for-all, as has been misleadingly reported, but by a clear obligation on all gambling businesses to act in a socially responsible way, for which the hon. Gentleman's Committee argued so powerfully.

Mr. Greenway : I am grateful for the right hon. Lady's response. The common threads running through the Joint Committee's report are concern about problem gambling and the need to ensure that reform does not lead to any increase in it. When she considers all the report's conclusions, which I appreciate will take some time, will she bear in mind the importance of retaining a crime-free and socially responsible gambling industry in the United Kingdom and avoiding the problems that lead to problem gambling, which are associated with too-easy access to high-value gaming machines?

Tessa Jowell: I do indeed accept the point that the hon. Gentleman makes. The three licensing objectives that form the architecture for the legislation—fairness, keeping gambling crime free and protection of children—are a practical expression of the broader objective of social responsibility on the part of those who are involved in the industry. In pursuit of getting the balance right, and because I share so strongly the concerns that people should continue to be protected, that we do not see a disproportionate increase in problem gambling, and that children do not gain greater access to gambling, I have consulted widely with the Churches and with children's organisations so that we are well aware of their views as the legislation takes its final form.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

The hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, was asked—

Postal Voting

18. Bob Russell (Colchester) (LD): What discussions the commission has held on the security of postal ballot papers delivered to premises in multiple occupation. [166159]

Mr. Peter Viggers (Gosport) (Con): The security of postal ballot paper delivery, including delivery to houses in multiple occupation, has been discussed by the commission on several occasions. Those have included meetings with the Parliamentary Parties Panel, the Local Government Association and the regional returning officers for the European parliamentary elections.

Bob Russell : I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that reply. Will he give me an assurance that every returning officer will be instructed to issue to every candidate and agent notice of the consequences of any illegal activities connected with the improper use of postal votes?
 
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Mr. Viggers: The hon. Gentleman makes an important point and the Commission recognises the concern that he expresses. In order to minimise the risk of fraud in relation to postal votes, the commission is developing a series of tools for use by local administrators, including best practice guidance on delivery to multiple occupation households. The guidance is planned for publication later this year and will take on board the experience of the pilot schemes planned for this June.

Mr. Gordon Marsden (Blackpool, South) (Lab): May I suggest that the Commission take note of what has already happened in areas with many houses in multiple occupation that have run all-postal vote pilot schemes, such as in my own borough in Blackpool? It obviously has many HMOs but few problems were reported with the all-postal ballot last time.

Mr. Viggers: The hon. Gentleman balances the point. The Commission has made it clear in its published reports that it is convinced that the risks of personation and intimidation must be addressed through specific changes to the law before all-postal voting is made widely available. However, the Commission also argues that the benefits of all-postal voting in terms of increased convenience and turnout are significant and demonstrable.

Peter Bottomley (Worthing, West) (Con): Will my hon. Friend ask the commission to ensure that after the next round of postal voting in major elections it will publish research that shows those areas with unusually high or low participation? I can understand why the commission would not wish to publish its methods of research in advance, but we need to see afterwards what has happened.

Mr. Viggers: The Commission intends to carry out scrupulous research and I think that my hon. Friend's point should be covered. However, it will be drawn to the Commission's attention.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

The hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—

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