Gospels debate in the commons

Date: 2004-02-26, Publication: The Journal

Ministers were last night urged to stop passing the buck and put pressure on the British Library to agree the permanent return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the North-East.

During a Commons debate, Sports Minister Dick Caborn said the decision over whether the 8th Century manuscripts should be returned to the region was one for the British Library board.

But he received a stern warning from former ministerial colleague and North Tyneside MP Stephen Byers that the Government could not duck its responsibilities over the matter.

"It may come to a time when the Government needs to indicate to the board of the British Library the strength of feeling about this rightful place of the Lindisfarne Gospels," he said.

The former Cabinet ministers intervention came during a half-hour debate on the return of the Gospels opened by Gateshead East and Washington West MP Joyce Quin.

Afterwards she too urged the Government to take a lead on the issue saying: "It would be extremely helpful if the Government could give a strong steer to the Library board."

Ms Quin will now head a delegation of Northern MPs, which will include Mr Byers, to meet the Library board in order to put its case for the Gospels return.

But although Mr Caborn said he welcomed the delegation, he continued to insist that the decision was one for the board alone.

During the debate, Ms Quin accused the British Library of failing to realise the tourism potential of the priceless Northumbrian artefacts.

"The Gospels are not mentioned as one of the highlights of the gallery. They are not highlighted in the way they would be if they were in the North-East," she said.

"The return of the Gospels would give a boost to the already important tourist industry in the North-East and through that a boost to the wider economy of the region."

And she added pointedly: "National treasures do not lose their status as national treasures by being located outside the capital."

In reply Mr Caborn, deputising for Arts Minister Estelle Morris, said: "The Governments view remains that the decision to return the Gospels is one for the British Library board."

The British Library has consistently justified its position on the grounds that it would require an Act of Parliament for the Gospels to be returned to the North-East.

But while it would require an Act of Parliament to change the ownership of the Gospels, it would not need one to order them to be made available on a permanent loan to the region.

During the debate, Durham North MP Kevan Jones accused the Library of being an "elitist, London-centric institution".

Support for the Gospels return also came from Berwick MP Alan Beith who argued that the solution was probably for the Library to open a branch in the region.

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