TURNER BEQUEST

Early day motion 1406, tabled 30 April 2009 by Austin Mitchell (Labour). Signed by 9 members.

That this House is concerned that the Trustees of the National Gallery continue to ignore J.M.W. Turner's intentions for his first art bequest to the nation; points out that the damaging consequence is to deprive the people of Great Britain and of 19 European nations of the opportunity to appreciate this four-picture monument to humanity's progress in peace led by a queen; and therefore calls on the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to require the National Gallery to display this crown jewel of Turner's output in a fit manner and to review and reform the Trustee system of the National Gallery to make it answerable to the British people who own the art therein.

Signatures by party: Labour 8, Liberal Democrat 1.