To ask His Majesty's Government when they last discussed the request of the Rapa Nui to return the Hoa Hakananai'a with the trustees of the British Museum; and what offers, if any, they have made to the trustees to facilitate this.

To ask His Majesty's Government when they last discussed the request of the Rapa Nui to return the Hoa Hakananai'a with the trustees of the British Museum; and what offers, if any, they have made to the trustees to facilitate this.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any adverse impacts on the UK's international reputation by the retention of the Hoa Hakananai'a by the British Museum; and when this matter was last raised by the government of Chile.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any adverse impacts on the UK's international reputation by the retention of the Hoa Hakananai'a by the British Museum; and when this matter was last raised by the government of Chile.

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the British Museum Act 1963 to enable the permanent transfer of objects from the British Museum's collection in exceptional circumstances, including the Parthenon Sculptures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the British Museum Act 1963 to enable the permanent transfer of objects from the British Museum's collection in exceptional circumstances, including the Parthenon Sculptures.

Everyone is so excited about the return of the Bayeux tapestry, which comes back to our shores for the first time in almost 1,000 years. That is a testament to this Labour Government’s work to strengthen our relations with European neighbours. Hastings has often been at the centre of historical events, but we have not felt the benefits and we rank in the bottom 10 places nationally for social mobility. Thanks to my campaign, the young people I represent will get free priority access to the tapestry exhibition and not be priced out by the cost of a ticket. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that this is great news, and that the British Museum must do all it can to ensure as many as people from my area as possible can see the exhibition?

Everyone is so excited about the return of the Bayeux tapestry, which comes back to our shores for the first time in almost 1,000 years. That is a testament to this Labour Government’s work to strengthen our relations with European neighbours. Hastings has often been at the centre of historical events, but we have not felt the benefits and we rank in the bottom 10 places nationally for social mobility. Thanks to my campaign, the young people I represent will get free priority access to the tapestry exhibition and not be priced out by the cost of a ticket. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that this is great news, and that the British Museum must do all it can to ensure as many as people from my area as possible can see the exhibition?

I will relay that very message tonight to the former Chancellor of the Exchequer who runs the British Museum. I hope I will do so with the support of those on the Opposition Benches. We want the maximum number of kids to have access and to stand in front of that tapestry while it is here in the UK. It is a major moment in our island’s history and it is such a powerful one. They learn about it in school; they should be able to stand in front of it. I credit my hon. Friend for the amazing campaign she has run. I know the school children in her own constituency will be there, but I can hear in her voice that she wants that for every child in this country. Let us see what we can do.

I will relay that very message tonight to the former Chancellor of the Exchequer who runs the British Museum. I hope I will do so with the support of those on the Opposition Benches. We want the maximum number of kids to have access and to stand in front of that tapestry while it is here in the UK. It is a major moment in our island’s history and it is such a powerful one. They learn about it in school; they should be able to stand in front of it. I credit my hon. Friend for the amazing campaign she has run. I know the school children in her own constituency will be there, but I can hear in her voice that she wants that for every child in this country. Let us see what we can do.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the British Museum on public-facing signage changes referencing Palestine, Palestinian and Israelite occupation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the British Museum on public-facing signage changes referencing Palestine, Palestinian and Israelite occupation.

I. The British Museum (BM). Framework Document. NDPB Charity. 2025-2028. Incl. Annex A: Guidance. 32p [See document named 'Amendment 2] for latest version]. II. Annex B: Cultural freedom bodies’: Freedoms charter. 8p. III. Annex C: Commercial activities and reporting requirements. 5p. IV. The British Museum (BM). Framework Document. NDPB Charity. 2025-2028. [Corrected versions: Amendment 1 - June 2025 and Amendment 2 - May 2026]

I. The British Museum (BM). Framework Document. NDPB Charity. 2025-2028. Incl. Annex A: Guidance. 32p [See document named 'Amendment 2] for latest version]. II. Annex B: Cultural freedom bodies’: Freedoms charter. 8p. III. Annex C: Commercial activities and reporting requirements. 5p. IV. The British Museum (BM). Framework Document. NDPB Charity....

Agreed to on question.

Agreed to on question.

No other work of art is as entwined with our island’s story as the Bayeux tapestry, which quite literally wove my constituency of Hastings, Rye and the villages into our national history. The tapestry’s return home after spending nearly 1,000 years across the channel is a triumph for Britain, and...

No other work of art is as entwined with our island’s story as the Bayeux tapestry, which quite literally wove my constituency of Hastings, Rye and the villages into our national history. The tapestry’s return home after spending nearly 1,000 years across the channel is a triumph for Britain, and...

I congratulate the hon. Lady. The only subject that I excelled in at school was history, but I am sure that the hon. Lady exceeded me by far. She has a love of history, as do I after all these years. Does she agree that seeing the Bayeux tapestry, that...

I congratulate the hon. Lady. The only subject that I excelled in at school was history, but I am sure that the hon. Lady exceeded me by far. She has a love of history, as do I after all these years. Does she agree that seeing the Bayeux tapestry, that...

The hon. Member is right that schoolchildren must be able to access the exhibition. They should not be put off by the price of a ticket to the exhibition or a train ticket—or even a flight in his case. It is really important. I speak as someone who went to...

The hon. Member is right that schoolchildren must be able to access the exhibition. They should not be put off by the price of a ticket to the exhibition or a train ticket—or even a flight in his case. It is really important. I speak as someone who went to...

I commend my hon. Friend for her speech. She has spoken so eloquently about the importance of history and the role of the Normans in Sussex history—our own local history—but also in our country’s history. It has been a poignant speech, and I thank her for mentioning the copy at...

I commend my hon. Friend for her speech. She has spoken so eloquently about the importance of history and the role of the Normans in Sussex history—our own local history—but also in our country’s history. It has been a poignant speech, and I thank her for mentioning the copy at...

I thank my hon. Friend. Indeed, we have many replicas of the tapestry. There is the one he mentioned in Reading museum. There is also one that Hastings borough council has in storage, and I am urging it to take it out of storage and put it on show in...

I thank my hon. Friend. Indeed, we have many replicas of the tapestry. There is the one he mentioned in Reading museum. There is also one that Hastings borough council has in storage, and I am urging it to take it out of storage and put it on show in...

I congratulate the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye (Helena Dollimore) on securing the debate. For those—perhaps our constituents—who do not know the etiquette of the House, an Adjournment debate is typically a debate for a single Member, so it is gracious of her to make time for me to...

I congratulate the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye (Helena Dollimore) on securing the debate. For those—perhaps our constituents—who do not know the etiquette of the House, an Adjournment debate is typically a debate for a single Member, so it is gracious of her to make time for me to...

I am pleased to respond to this debate. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye (Helena Dollimore) not only on securing this debate, but on her lovely speech. I noticed that she did a little bit of lobbying for Hastings to become the town of culture,...

I am pleased to respond to this debate. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye (Helena Dollimore) not only on securing this debate, but on her lovely speech. I noticed that she did a little bit of lobbying for Hastings to become the town of culture,...

It wasn’t far away!

It wasn’t far away!

It is an enormous task to deliver such a historic exhibition, but doing so in such a short timeframe is a particular challenge. Usually, exhibitions at our major museums take three to five years to plan, but the British Museum is rising to the challenge of putting this exhibition on...

It is an enormous task to deliver such a historic exhibition, but doing so in such a short timeframe is a particular challenge. Usually, exhibitions at our major museums take three to five years to plan, but the British Museum is rising to the challenge of putting this exhibition on...

I thank the Minister for his commitment to helping the children of Hastings to get to see this exhibition. Does he recognise that schools that are not as well off need help getting children to the British Museum in north London, whether by coach or train? They simply do not...

I thank the Minister for his commitment to helping the children of Hastings to get to see this exhibition. Does he recognise that schools that are not as well off need help getting children to the British Museum in north London, whether by coach or train? They simply do not...

My hon. Friend raises the key principle behind what the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I do, in the Department and right across the country. I am an Edinburgh MP, but I remember studying the Bayeux tapestry in primary school some 40 years ago—I know that...

My hon. Friend raises the key principle behind what the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I do, in the Department and right across the country. I am an Edinburgh MP, but I remember studying the Bayeux tapestry in primary school some 40 years ago—I know that...