Following the Attorney General’s decision not to appeal against the High Court ruling that allows the Wedgwood Museum’s collection to be sold to pay its creditors, the museum has issued the following statement:
“The Trustees and staff of the Wedgwood Museum are working closely with the administrator, Bob Young of Begbies Traynor, to ensure the best outcome for the museum in light of the announcement that the Attorney General will not be appealing the ruling on the museum’s pension fund case.
“The main aim now will be to ensure that this internationally important ceramic collection and archive is saved for the nation and remains permanently open to the public. A fund raising campaign will be launched in the forthcoming weeks to Save the Wedgwood Collection.”
The government has refused to help save the Wedgwood Museum by exempting charities from the “last man standing” rule which may force the museum to sell its collection.
Speaking in the House of Lords, yesterday, conservative peer Lord Flight called for the legislation to be amended to prevent museums and charities being forced to sell their assets.
Replying on behalf the government, Baroness Rawlings said it had reviewed the Wedgwood case carefully and believed that it would be inappropriate to exempt charities from the rule.
The Phoenix Trust, which is working to make the North Staffordshire Coalfield’s Industrial Landscape and the Churnet Valley a World Heritage Site, condemn’s the government’s decision.
Like the Spitfire and HMS Victory, the Wedgwood Collection is part of our national heritage.
Museums in other towns and cities have been saved when the government stepped in and made them National Museums.
There is no reason why it can’t help the Wedgwood Museum by creating a National Pottery Museum in Stoke-on-Trent.
The Antiques Trade Gazette (13th February, 2012) says there is new hope for the Wedgwood Collection now it has been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s Memory of the World Register.
Adding the collection to the register means that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has identified the archive as being one of only 20 items in Britain’s libraries, archives and museums that have outstanding heritage value.
Attempts are still being made to persuade the government to save the collection.
The Antiques Trade Gazette believes registration is likely to increase the pressure on the government to intervene.
Civic Society reports that Tory peer, Lord Flight has called for charities to be exempt from the Pensions Act 2004 “last man standing rule”, in order to protect their assets from being sold.
The rule recently led to the High Court ruling that a 10,000 piece pottery collection housed in the Wedgwood Museum can be made available to pay off creditors seeking funds for a £134m pension shortfall.
Speaking to Civil Society (30th January, 2012) Lord Flight said it was highly questionable for the last man standing rule to apply to charities and went on to say there should be a change in legislation. He said:
“I participated in introducing this legislation in 2004. And no-one at the time envisaged that the last man standing rule would apply in this situation. It was meant for corporate entities – it had a sound starting base but now it is not being used as intended.”
Bill Cash, the Member of Parliament for Stone, who supports the campaign to save the Wedgwood Collection has signed the Early Day Motion in Parliament which reads:
“That this House notes with grave concern the decision of the High Court on 19th December, 2011 to allow the contents of the UNESCO-listed Wedgwood Museum to be sold to service a pension deficit; believes the Wedgwood Museum houses a collection of global significance which tells an essential part of the story of Britain from the industrial revolution to today; further notes its particularly important place within the heritage of Staffordshire and the Potteries; regards the legislation governing the Pension Protection Fund to be in need of urgent amendment if it leads to the unintended consequence of placing in jeopardy such a national museum collection; and urges Government Ministers to take every possible action to help ensure that this world-class pottery and fine art collection remains on open display for the people of Britain as part of our national heritage.”
Mr Cash wrote to Ed Vaizey, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, about the Collection’s future.
In his reply the Minister said: “I held a meeting on 20th December, 2011 for key cultural organisations, including the Art Fund, Arts Council England, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Heritage Lottery Fund, to come together to discuss how to save this Collection for the nation. This is a complex situation which may take some time to resolve, however, I will continue to work with this group over the coming months as we seek a way to preserve this Collection and ensure it remains on public display.”
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