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UK Parliament

Parliament’s Collections’ Policy relating to Sensitive Objects

UK Parliament holds six unique collections. They are the Parliamentary Archives, the Parliamentary Art Collection, the Historic Furniture and Decorative Arts Collection, the Architectural Fabric Collection, the House of Lords Library and the House of Commons Library.  

The holdings of Parliamentary Collections are made accessible to Members, colleagues, visitors and the public in a number of different ways: through their use and display across the Parliamentary Estate, as material for consultation, research, and published briefings, as loans to external organisations and partners, and as digital content on UK Parliament’s website.  

The objects and holdings across these six collections originate from a range of historical periods and contexts and in some instances contain subjects or themes which may now be considered sensitive to those viewing, using or reading them.

In line with sector best practice, and as part of a wider Collections’ review for ongoing access and development, UK Parliament has developed the following policy specifically in relation to sensitive material and objects to inform how the use, interpretation and display of such holdings can best enable inclusive engagement. 

Sensitivity can relate to many attributes, including the creator or author, the subject, provenance, context, material, attributes or attitudes/perspectives embodied by it. For the purposes of this policy, which will be applied consistently, sensitivity is defined based on the 2010 Equality Act. The Act: 

  • Protects people with a particular set of characteristics from discrimination with the nine characteristics being;  
    • Age 
    • Disability 
    • Gender reassignment  
    • Marriage and civil partnership 
    • Pregnancy or maternity 
    • Race 
    • Religion or belief  
    • Sex 
    • Sexual orientation 
  • Requires consideration to be given to socio-economic disadvantage. 

 The Policy  

  1. Objects and material that may be perceived as sensitive will not be removed from the Collections or from display. They will remain in the Collections and be discoverable online or on display with additional interpretation to provide context. 
  2. The contextualisation of holdings will be factual. The information will be objective and impartial and avoid commentary or opinion. 
  3. For consistency across both Houses and all the Collections, sensitivity will be defined in relation to the protected characteristics as outlined in the 2010 Equality Act above.  
  4. A dual procedure will be adopted to allow for response to comments or complaints if/as/when they arise, alongside the development of a programme of work to research and update catalogues, descriptions and audience interpretation, as part of business as usual Collections activity.