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.

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