Department of the Environment
Management of public cultural artefacts
Transfer of responsibility
Purpose
The purpose of this short report is to enable the Minister to consider responsibility for the management of the States of Jersey’s collection of works of art and historical artefacts.
Background and discussion
The States of Jersey acquires and commissions works of art and historical artefacts that are of cultural value to the Island. Since 1993, the care and custody of this collection has been vested in Jersey Heritage Trust, in its role as the Government’s heritage agency, through a formal agreement with the States of Jersey: initially, the agreement was entered into by the Public Services Committee and Jersey Heritage Trust.
In 2005, following the introduction of ministerial government, formal power to enter into this agreement was transferred to the Minister for Planning and Environment[1]. Given that specific responsibility for culture is, however, vested in the Department for Economic, Tourism, Sport and Culture, it is considered more appropriate that the power to enter into an agreement with the Trust for the care and custody of public cultural artefacts is vested in the Minister for Economic, Tourism, Sport and Culture: it is a specific objective of EDTSC to ‘liaise with the trusts and voluntary organisations for the promotion of sport, arts and heritage.’
A request for this transfer to be made has come from the EDTSC’s Cultural Development Officer.
Financial and legal implications
EDTSC have a partnership agreement with Jersey Heritage Trust[2] one of the purposes of which ‘to care for Jersey’s cultural assets according to accepted museum standards taking account of the available resources defined within this agreement’.
The proposed transfer of power to enter into formal agreement with the Trust for the care of public cultural assets does not have any additional financial implications for EDTSC.
Recommendation
On the basis of the above, it is recommended that the Minister for Environment transfers responsibility for the agreement concerning the care and custody of the Island’s public cultural artefacts to the Minister for Economic, Tourism, Sport and Culture, in accord with the request made.
Director for Policy, Projects and the Historic Environment