A Parliamentary watchdog has urged Ulster museums to give greater consideration to selling off artefacts from their collections.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) made the call in a highly critical report on museum management in the province.

The MPs examined a range of issues including record-keeping and storage facilities, and rapped the public body MAGNI (Museums and Galleries Northern Ireland) and its Government funder, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

MAGNI has an estimated 1,450,000 artefacts and works of art at its four museum sites - the Ulster Museum, the Armagh County Museum, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and the Ulster-American Folk Park.

Only 10% of these items are on display at any given time - in common with practice at other UK museum organisations.

Launching the Commons report, PAC chairman Edward Leigh said MAGNI needed to "rationalise" its collections.

He continued: "Retaining and conserving artefacts in perpetuity without any possibility of display or access to them benefits no-one. But it does cost the taxpayer.

"Museums need to recognise that a rigid presumption against disposal is not real world thinking."

The PAC's comments are directed right across the UK's museum sector.

The parliamentary committee noted that funding restrictions are limiting MAGNI's opprtunities to purchase new artefacts.

It said the organisation's acquisitions budget was limited to £50,000 in recent years and has been reduced to £25,000 in the current year.

Outlining the PAC's main criticisms, Mr Leigh said: "Safeguarding Northern Ireland's national collection is dependent on its proper management, development and security.

"It is evident however, that Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland has, over a long period of time, not addressed its responsibilities; storage is inadequate, record-keeping fails to meet recognised and acceptable standards, and computerisation of records has, despite previous undertakings, yet to be fully implemented."

The MPs were particularly scathing over the fact that less than 10% of records at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum had been computerised.

This is despite previous recommendations, some going back 17 years, by the watchdog Northern Ireland Audit Office.

The PAC stated: "The lack of progress is an indictment of management at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and has undoubtedly hindered academic and public access to information about this unique part of the national collection."

The MPs said quality of storage for museums is "of paramount importance" given the proportion of items not on display.

They said it was "deplorable" that up to 60% of the floor space in MAGNI's stores had been classified as either "poor" or " unacceptable".

MAGNI has stressed that 90% of items of its collection are held in appropriate conditions and are not at risk.

The PAC report also stated: "We are not convinced by the assurances given to us that no artefacts had been lost or stolen over the last 14 years.

"It is not clear to us, particularly given the deficiencies in documentation and in the absence of annual 'audit' checks, that MAGNI knows with any degree of certainty what assets it has, where they are, what their condition is or their value is."

MAGNI chief executive Tim Cooke said the PAC's findings will be considered " urgently and systematically".

He also stated that the timing of the report was useful in light of a wider modernisation and development programme already under way across the organisation.

"We take our responsibilities to care for and develop the national collections with the utmost seriousness.

"We are fully committed to addressing the issues raised and improving the service we provide," he added.

Mr Cooke also stated that further progress had been made on improvements he had outlined to the PAC at a hearing in Westminster in June.

These included work to allow computerisation to move ahead at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.

A Director of Collections has been appointed at MAGNI and proposals have been tabled for two more senior posts in this area.

Purchase of boat was 'like an episode of Yes Minister'

MPs are today warning officials to learn lessons from the embarrassing case of a boat marooned at a Northern Ireland museum 36 years after its purchase.

The Result, a historic merchant schooner, still lies at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum with its interior covered up and no plan in place for its future use.

It is estimated that the costs of acquiring and maintaining the vessel have added up to more than £600,000 in today's prices.

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is stressing that investment decisions on the purchase and display of such artefacts should always be the subject of appraisal studies.

Its chairman, Conservative MP Edward Leigh, said: "The case study of the Result is an astonishing example of a public body's failure to apply the well established principles of economic appraisal.

"Preserving our heritage is important but not at any cost."

During a PAC hearing in June, Mr Leigh said an episode of the TV political comedy, Yes Minister, could have been made about the Result.

In its report today on museum management in Northern Ireland, the Public Accounts Committee noted that the boat was purchased by the Folk and Transport Museum in 1970.

It has been classified as among 46 of the UK's most important historic vessels, with the list also including such ships as HMS Belfast, SS Great Britain and the Cutty Sark.

The MPs stated: "A business case was produced following its purchase with a view to reinstating its three masts and top sail and creating a mock dock at the museum. However, this proved to be too expensive.

"Consequently, the Result remains under awning on dry land, albeit in a state of preservation.

"While the Department considers it to be on public exhibition, the reality is that it has never been on full display over the 36-year period it has been in the ownership of the museum."

The museum did not progress with proposals for the Result, as it placed higher priority on the development of is award-winning road and rail galleries.

In its report today, the PAC said it was "important" that " lessons are learned" from the saga of The Result.

It also stated that it was not the only case of its kind in the UK and there were parallels with a historic Grimsby fishing vessel called the Ross Tiger.

This example was cited by PAC member and Grimsby Labour MP Austin Mitchell during the committee's hearing on Ulster museums in June.

He said the Ross Tiger had been "fetched back from the Faroe Islands with great trumpeting" and was now "mouldering" and " sinking slowly" in a dock.

"The council has been desperate for some time to get rid of it, however, nobody will take it," Mr Mitchell added.

The case of the Result is likely to be cited by critics of the Government decision to purchase another historic Ulster vessel, The Nomadic. Described as a little sister of Titanic, it was brought back to Belfast earlier this year with a view to restoration.