SCULPTURES OF THE PARTHENON

Early day motion 1641A2, tabled 17 July 2002 by Tim Loughton (Conservative). Signed by 18 members.

leave out from 'Greece' to end and add 'but to the whole of humanity and as such are best entrusted to the care of one of the world's great universal museums, namely the British Museum which has displayed them skilfully to the world for almost 200 years, and where they can be ideally studied in the context of the artistic development of mankind from prehistoric through classical times; congratulates the British Museum on attracting 5.5 million international visitors last year, free of charge, double the number visiting the Acropolis where admission charges have recently been increased by 50 per cent.; expresses concern that the 14 blocks of the west frieze of the Parthenon taken down by the Greek authorities in 1993 have not been displayed since; agrees with the 300 Greek academics who have signed a petition condemning the cultural vandalism resulting from the construction of the new Acropolis Museum which threatens to destroy remains of an ancient Christian city and prehistoric sites crucial to charting the continuous habitation of Athens; and calls on the honourable Member for Knowsley South to drop his Private Member's Bill and put the interests of the study of our international cultural heritage ahead of misguided politically-motivated attempts to curry favour with Greece.'.

Signatures by party: Conservative 17, UUP 1.