Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures

That this House welcomes Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis on his visit to the UK today; notes that the British Museum still holds about half of the Parthenon Sculptures, controversially removed from Athens by Lord Elgin between 1801 and 1812, during the Ottoman occupation of Greece, then purchased from him by the Government following a decision by this Parliament in 1816, and that they remain on display in the British Museum to which they were transferred by Act of Parliament in the same year; considers it is no longer appropriate for these sculptures to be held and displayed in the UK and notes that the sculptures have not always been well protected and have indeed been damaged whilst in the possession of the museum; further notes that the remaining Parthenon Sculptures have been well displayed since 2009 in the purpose built Acropolis Museum in the shadow of the Parthenon; notes that Prime Minister Mitsotakis has compared the UK’s possession of the Parthenon sculptures as like cutting the Mona Lisa in half; and calls on the Government to work with the trustees of the British Museum, to agree a gracious act to reunite the Parthenon Sculptures with those in Athens and to finally put right this enduring wrong.