RESTITUTION OF THE PARTHENON MARBLES

That this House welcomes the development of the New Acropolis Museum in Athens which is planned to open next year and which clearly demonstrates the capacity of the Greek authorities to receive and satisfactorily instal those marbles from the Parthenon which were, in the past, removed in previous periods, including the so-called Elgin Marbles; notes that the principles of the restitution of museum items is now well established, which include the British Museum's return of Aboriginal remains to Australia under the Human Tissue Act 2004 and a number of fragments from the Parthenon and the Acropolis to Greece from collections in Germany, Sweden and elsewhere; believes that the opening of the New Acropolis Museum will give the British Museum a golden opportunity to demonstrate its goodwill towards the project; and calls on the Government to work with the British Museum to open a dialogue with the Greek authorities to arrange for the proper restitution of the Parthenon Marbles to Athens.