Ministerial Advisory Panel on Illicit Trade

The Panel was appointed by the Rt Hon Alan Howarth CBE, Minister for the Arts, on 24 May 2000 under the chairmanship of Norman Palmer, Barrister, Professor of Commercial Law at University College London with the following terms of reference:

a. to consider the nature and extent of the illicit international trade in art and antiquities, and the extent to which the UK is involved in this;
b. to consider how most effectively, both through legislative and non-legislative means, the UK can play its part in preventing and prohibiting the illicit trade, and to advise the Government accordingly.

The Panel met on twelve occasions and was supported by an Inter-Departmental Working Group of officials; the Panel also took advice from a wide range of experts.