TRADING ARM OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

That this House deplores the attempts by the board and senior managers of the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) to undermine the status of its staff as public servants through the misuse of its trading arm; notes that the clear intention of the legislation that enabled NMSI to create a trading company, the National Heritage Act 1983, was that the company would carry out commercial activities in support of museum activities, but not that it should be used as a tool to dismantle the terms and conditions of museum staff; calls on the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to intervene immediately to bring an end to this practice; and asks that the Secretary of State re-assert the principle that the responsibility for collecting, caring for, and making available to the public the national heritage in scientific and industrial artefacts ought to reside in staff directly employed by and accountable to the state.