Agenda item

This report provides an update on the ongoing scrutiny review of York Museums Trust, and asks the Committee to agree a method for progressing the review and a timeframe for its completion. 

Members considered an interim report which provided them with an update on the ongoing scrutiny review of York Museums Trust and asked them to agree a method for progressing the review and a timeframe for its completion.

The Task Group provided the committee with a verbal update on work they had undertaken since the last meeting. With regard to their visit to the Fulford Cross storage facility they reported that the facility appeared to be run down and there were problems with damp. They raised concerns that the majority of items were not protected and nothing was being done to prevent their decay and if they were allowed to deteriorate they could never be useful for display. However they agreed that there were many interesting items stored at this facility, including a hearse and a car which appeared to be worthy of rescue.

The Task Group had suggested to YMT that there may be interest groups who may be willing to take on responsibility for refurbishing specific objects and an open day should be held. However YMT expressed concern about security issues. Any decision to allow access would have to be carefully managed. The Committee agreed that the issue of security would be negated once the whole collection had been catalogued, as groups would be able to access details of the collection on the internet rather than requiring physical access.

The Task Group agreed it had been a very useful and interesting exercise seeing the various storage areas which YMT uses and agreed that, in the main part, they were happy with procedures in place. However they did have concerns about the current procedures for how items were disposed of. They agreed that there were a lot of items which needed to be disposed of but noted that this process needed to be undertaken in line with national guidance.  They also recognised it was important that the disposals policy which was due to be updated in had yet to be revised.

The Committee commended the work of both the task group and the officers on putting together what they felt was a good interim report. The acknowledged the work which was required in order to complete the review, as listed within paragraphs 74 to 76 of the report  including meeting with curators and volunteers.

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RESOLVED:       (a)     That the findings to date be noted by the         Committee.

(b)     That it be agreed that the Task Group be reformed with the same membership in order to complete the review on behalf of the Committee

(c)     That the issues listed in paragraphs 74-76 be investigated by the task group in order to complete the review.

(d)     That a final report be presented to the Committee at its meeting on 19 September 2012.

REASON:            In order to progress the review.