My Lords, noble Lords from these Benches mentioned at Second Reading that we welcomed the introduction of the cultural protection fund. In a letter to my noble friend Lady Bonham-Carter, who is very sorry that she cannot be here at present—hence she has asked me to say this—the Minister mentioned that the Government were working with the British Council to establish a long-term strategy for the fund. We obviously welcome that.
This amendment seeks to ensure that the strategy, and the impact of the fund, is kept under annual scrutiny, as the noble Lord, Lord Collins, just said,
and that it is used effectively. We argue that the strategy should have training at its core and that co-ordination is essential. There needs to be a central team based in London with credibility among the heritage community, the military, police, Customs and NGO sectors. Challenging cases will clearly include liaising with military units on standby which do not know precisely where they are going. The strategy will also need to look to the future to try to identify countries at particular risk and prepare for what might happen, especially given how cultural artefacts can be targeted, as we now see in the Middle East. It will also need to strike a balance between emergency response and long-term support. In addition, the funds should be used to leverage funds from other countries as well.
As I mentioned, the Minister wrote an incredibly helpful letter to my noble friend Lady Bonham-Carter. She would very much appreciate it if some of the comments in that letter could be put on the record. I hope very much that the Minister will do that.