Clause 1
Holocaust (Stolen Art) Restitution Bill
9:30 am
Edward Vaizey (Shadow Minister, Culture, Media & Sport; Wantage, Conservative)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this morning, Mr. Cook.
Conservative Members accept that the new clauses are necessary as technical amendments. I only wish to put two points to the Minister, or, perhaps, to the Member promoting the Bill, to whom I offer my hearty congratulations. First, I note that there is no definition of a cultural object in the new clauses, whereas there is in the clauses so elegantly drafted by the hon. Member for Hendon. I wonder whether he or the Minister will comment on whether that is a significant change. Secondly, I note that there is nothing in the new clauses that defines how the advisory panel is to be made up. Will the Minister comment on what progress has been made in defining the terms of reference for any new advisory panel, or whether they will simply be transferred from the existing Spoliation Advisory Committee?