Committee publication · Correspondence · 18 March 2025
Letter from Sir Chris Bryant MP, Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, regarding the gifting of the Navy Commissioners' barge, dated 7 March 2025
From: Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Inquiry: The work of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Summary
Sir Chris Bryant, Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, informs Parliament of DCMS's decision to gift a 18th-century Navy Commissioners' barge (valued at £400,000) from the National Maritime Museum's collection to Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. The barge, held since 1935, cannot be displayed or stored at RMG sites and is better served at Chatham where it has historical relevance. Treasury approval has been given in principle; Parliament has fourteen sitting days to object.
Key findings
- National Maritime Museum (Royal Museums Greenwich) is gifting a Navy Commissioners' barge valued at £400,000 to Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust
- The barge, donated to the museum in 1935, cannot be displayed or stored accessibly at any RMG site due to its size and lack of foreseeable exhibition plans
- The item falls outside the museum's Collection Development Policy and the transfer reflects routine museum practice of reviewing collections
- Treasury has approved the gift in principle; a 14 parliamentary sitting day objection period applies under standard procedure for gifts exceeding £300,000
- Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust has confirmed willingness to transport, conserve, and display the barge, which has historical relevance to the Commissioner's House there
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Sir Chris Bryant MP, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, National Maritime Museum (Royal Museums Greenwich), Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, HM Treasury
Notable line
“Public accessibility is therefore best served elsewhere.”
Key Quotes
“… these disposals are routine in nature, that the items fall outside the museum's collection development policy and/or cannot be displayed or used for research by Royal Museums Greenwich”
“The barge was held for nearly 100 years at Chatham and is historically relevant to the Commissioner's House there. There it can be stored appropriately and made accessible in a relevant context.”
“This gift also helps to foster partnerships between the DCMS-sponsored museums and those that operate at the regional and civil level, contributing to the shared national story”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗