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The government refuses to change the law that keeps the Elgin Marbles in Britain despite Greece's demands for their return

The Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum, which George Osborne is seeking to loan to Athens while Greece insists it would not borrow its own heritage.
The Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum, which George Osborne is seeking to loan to Athens while Greece insists it would not borrow its own heritage.

Culture minister Baroness Twycross told the House of Lords on Tuesday that no government assessment of proposals for a permanent return has been undertaken, and that changing the British Museum Act 1963 does not feature in the King's Speech legislative programme. British Museum chairman George Osborne is instead pursuing a long-term loan deal, under which some sculptures would be displayed in Athens while Greek antiquities tour London.

Greece has consistently rejected any loan arrangement, arguing it would force Athens to effectively borrow its own cultural heritage.

The Earl of Clancarty compared splitting the sculptures between London and Athens to dividing Picasso's 'Guernica' among different museums.

Baroness Shami Chakrabarti challenged the loan model, asking peers: 'If some of the crown jewels had been pinched, I don't think we would be so glad of a loan agreement.'

MoreMetroThe UK speaks out on return of the Elgin MarblesThe IndependentUK government rules out permanent return of Elgin Marbles to GreecePOLITIS - To the pointUK Government Rules Out Law Change on Parthenon Marbles Return - POLITIS - To the pointeKathimerini.comUK has no plans to change law to allow permanent return of Parthenon sculptures - eKathimerini.comGreek City TimesUK rules out law change for permanent return of Parthenon Sculptures - Greek City Times
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