All Party Parliamentary Group on Museums is launched 7 Oct 2020

A new All Party Parliamentary Group has been launched to highlight and promote the interests of museums across the UK.  The group will be chaired by Chris Skidmore, Conservative MP for Kingswood and a former Minister of State for Universities, withFelicity Buchan, Theo Clarke, Alison McGovern, Alison Thewliss and Lord Faulkner working alongside him as Vice Chairs. Chris Bryant and Kim Johnson will be Secretary and Treasurer respectively. Over 60 Parliamentarians from across all parties have expressed interest in joining the Group.

Its work will particularly focus around:

• preserving the inherited body of the past and heritages of all forms held in museum collections.
• the role of museums in informing, educating and inspiring current and future generations.
• museums as anchor institutions and cultural hubs within their local communities.
• museums as an important factor in  tourism, highlighting the UK’s world leading cultural heritage and contributing to its soft power and international standing.
• ensuring that every region can benefit from museums, exploring how they can enhance and support levelling-up across the country.
• ensuring museums are making the best use of enhancements in digital technology.

The group is expected to meet around six times a year. NMDC will provide secretariat support and work closely with Parliamentarians from all four nations and colleagues from across the sector to ensure that the group represents the interests of all museums. A dedicated website will launch shortly – in the meantime updates will be announced via the group’s twitter feed and a page on the NMDC website. NMDC (including minutes of first meeting) Twitter (@AppgMuseums)