March 25.
May I add a footnote to Clare Henry's graphic account of my
exasperation at the failure of the Scottish Office to resolve problems
arising from the powers of disposal in the 1985 legislation relating to
the National Gallery of Scotland (March 24).
I originally raised these problems in print as far back as 1988, and
they were again aired in the Scottish press a year ago, when the MP for
Edinburgh Central, Mr Alistair Darling, sought to have them addressed in
the Museums and Galleries Act 1992. However, this Bill, after going
through the committee in the Commons, had to be passed as the text
stood, ''on the nod'', owing to the calling of the General Election.
One of the objectionable provisions in the existing 1985 legislation
covering the National Gallery at Edinburgh is that -- not to be found
outside Scotland -- which permits the transfer of ownership to
non-national public bodies (which of course includes universities) of
works of art belonging to it; and such transfers, of course, run the
possible risk of eventual alienation of public property.
This impropriety can unfortunately ensue because some of these bodies
-- and we now have a telling, and deplorable, example in the case of
Edinburgh University and the works of art from the Erskine collection
formerly at Torrie -- do not have qualms or inhibitions over such
''asset-stripping'' when convenient.
The Minister at the Scottish Office who is responsible for the
National Gallery, Sir Hector Monro, shocked me by observing in a recent
letter (almost in reproof of Sir James Erskine) that the benefactor had
made no financial provision for housing, maintaining, and conserving his
collection.
It was evident from this that the Scottish Office had not troubled to
obtain from the National Gallery an account of the historical facts
relating to the Torrie collection. These, inter alia, make it clear that
this munificent bequest played a crucial role in actually bringing about
the foundation of the National Gallery of Scotland itself. The Minister
would be well advised to make good this extraordinary lapse without
further delay.
Sir Denis Mahon,
33 Cadogan Square,
London.
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