Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill [HL]

My Lords, first, I thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd, for his comments. The one thing I am sure that he would not wish to do is to give the impression that he wants to prevent sales. Certainly what all of us want to do is to ensure that stolen goods do not come here in that way, where they have the protection of the law while they are here, so the owners have no access to them and they will then disappear again afterwards. I thank and commend my noble friend and her department for the work that they have done on the Bill and the amendments that they have tabled since it received its Second Reading in early December. I am especially grateful that she and her team, and that of the Minister for Culture, David Lammy, have noted my particular concerns. I declare an interest, because nearly all my family were murdered in the Holocaust. This Bill gave no access to people if they found that family paintings or other objects of art were being sold. I am grateful that the Government are dealing with the question of immunity for exhibitors of spoliated art, as mentioned in Part 6. I thank my noble friend for her assurance that proper standards for provenance research and due diligence will be introduced and enforced. I am delighted that the Secretary of State will grant immunity only to institutions adhering to appropriate standards and that there will be government oversight to ensure that these standards are continued. I have been assured that the standards and methods for this research will be clarified in future regulations; I hope that the Minister will confirm that. I look forward to consultations with my noble friend and other colleagues whenever they may be useful. I am also pleased that methods of presenting the research will be created. I hope that we can agree not only on such methods but on how they should best be publicised. Once claimants visit the register and recognise artwork that they know or believe to be theirs, they will now have what they have not had before—the opportunity to pursue their claims in the countries of origin. I call on the Government to give people the opportunity to pursue their claims in the countries of origin and to establish procedures that will enable claimants to obtain advice on how best to approach such legal proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. I trust that they will create and maintain a library of helpful information on those processes and provide the necessary support for claimants’ campaigns for justice. I know that my noble friend and her team recognise my deep concern that victims of the Holocaust do not suffer further unnecessary injustices, and that they will do all that they can to ensure that does not happen. I will welcome the opportunity for further discussions on these matters. Again, I thank her for her concern and for that of her department and colleagues.