UK minister: Parthenon Sculptures’ return a ‘slippery road’
Despite recent reports hinting at the possibility of a deal for the repatriation of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece, British Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan warned it would be a “dangerous and slippery road.”
In comments carried on Tuesday by the Telegraph newspaper, Donelan said Britain has acted as a “custodian” of disputed objects and “once you start giving one back, where does that end?” The law, she said, currently “does not allow” historical objects to be moved outside the UK, except in certain circumstances.
Her comments echoed the UK government on Monday which stated that the British Museum does not have the right to dismantle its collections, giving an indirect response to reports about the return of the Parthenon Sculptures. More specifically, it said that it is not in its plans to change the law that prevents the removal of objects from the museum’s collections.
