Meeting of the Parliament 21 January 2014
Thank you, Presiding Officer.
Before we pass the Burrell Collection (Lending and Borrowing) (Scotland) Bill, it is important to highlight some of the concerns that members of the public still have about the bill and the refurbishment project. In relation to lending and borrowing, I can see the merits of being able to tour a small number of items for one-off exhibitions during the closure period. I also accept that lending or borrowing individual items may assist interpretation or complement the collection.
However, some people see it differently. The following online comment expresses another view on the proposed new lending and borrowing powers:
“Sir William’s overriding concern was not, that he did not want items sent overseas because he feared that they would be at risk during transportation; rather, Sir William’s overriding concern was that the collection was kept intact as a meaningful collection. The collection was the man’s life work. The collection—in its entirety—told the story of the development of human civilisation: from ancient Egypt and China through to the works of the French Impressionists and the Glasgow Boys. The collection was to be his legacy, because it represented his own unique view of human history, and he wanted people to understand that. The collection was how he would live on after he died, and to this end he tried to ensure that the collection would remain intact long after he was gone.”