Written question asked by John Glen (Conservative) on Friday, 4 October 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 October 2024. It was answered by Anneliese Dodds (Labour) on Tuesday, 15 October 2024 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Africa: Restitution

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations of the Summary Report of the APPG on Afrikan reparations, published in October 2023.

Answer: Museums and galleries in England operate independently of the government. Decisions relating to the care and management of their collections are a matter for the trustees of each museum. The Arts Council published guidance in 2022 on the handling of restitution claims. The guidance sets out that, each claim should be considered on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the individual circumstances, provenance, and historic and current contexts.

Secondary information