National Media Museum: Inquiry to be held

[Michael Pritchard]

Gerry Sutcliffe, Labour MP for Bradford South, and Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley have united to secure a Select Committee inquiry into the Science Museum’s threat to the National Media Museum.

Both Mr Sutcliffe and Mr Davies are members of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and jointly requested an urgent special inquiry into the Science Museum’s proposal to close one of its three museums in the North of England.

The Committee agreed to their request and it is now likely that the Select Committee will press the Science Museum and the Minister before Parliament’s Summer Recess in July.

Gerry Sutcliffe said: “The National Media Museum is crucial to Bradford and I am delighted that the Select Committee has agreed to our request to hold an inquiry into this issue. I very much hope that we can use this opportunity to block any plans to close the Museum”.

Philip Davies said “Gerry and I made the case that this was a vitally important issue for the Bradford district and for the North of England more widely and it is great our colleagues on the Select Committee have agreed that we can press the Science Museum and the Minister about these proposals and hopefully see them reversed. Gerry and I will continue to work together – along with other local MPs – to protect the best interests of the Bradford district”.

The Chairman of the Select Committee John Whittingdale, Conservative MP for Maldon, said “Both Gerry and Philip were very persuasive about both the importance of the National Media Museum to Bradford and of the need for an inquiry into this to be held as soon as possible, and the Committee therefore agreed with the request to look into this as soon as time allows”.