An internal review into the export licence system for works of art is under way, writes Roland Arkell.
The Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) said the assessment will look at “how the export deferral system currently operates” and seeks to “identify potential improvements to make the process more effective in saving national treasures, while ensuring the rights of owners are protected”.
Earlier this year the Art Fund complained of “flaws in the system” following an impasse over the sale of a Jacopo Pontormo portrait to a collector in the US.