EARLY DAY MOTION

Session 06-07

Early Day Motion

EDM 1140

RESTITUTION OF THE PARTHENON MARBLES 14.03.2007

George, Andrew 34 signatures
Anderson, David Breed, Colin Campbell, Ronnie
Caton, Martin Clapham, Michael Corbyn, Jeremy
Cryer, Ann Davies, Dai Dismore, Andrew
Efford, Clive Etherington, Bill Flynn, Paul
Gibson, Ian Hancock, Mike Hopkins, Kelvin
Illsley, Eric Jones, Lynne Laws, David
Leech, John Lepper, David Llwyd, Elfyn
MacNeil, Angus McCafferty, Chris Meale, Alan
O'Hara, Edward Prentice, Gordon Price, Adam
Sanders, Adrian Simpson, Alan Vis, Rudi
Williams, Hywel Williams, Mark Wyatt, Derek

That this House is pleased to acknowledge the planned opening, later this year, of the New Acropolis Museum in Athens, which clearly demonstrates the capacity of the Greek authorities to receive and satisfactorily install those marbles from the Parthenon which were, in the past, removed in previous periods, including the so-called Elgin Marbles; notes that the principles of the restitution of museum items is now well established, which includes the British Museum's return of Aboriginal remains to Australia under the Human Tissue Act and a number of fragments from the Parthenon and the Acropolis to Greece from collections in Germany, Sweden and elsewhere; believes that the opening of the New Acropolis Museum will give the British Museum a golden opportunity to demonstrate its goodwill towards the project; and calls on the Government to work with the British Museum to open negotiations with the Greek authorities to arrange for the proper restitution of the Parthenon Marbles to Athens.