SIR – You commented recently that the multi-million-pound art collection belongs to the taxpayer, as always said on nationalised industries.

These are hollow words since they do us no good if it is not on public display regularly.

Treasures like this are an investment to take care of hard times. Brown sold off our gold reserves, but at the wrong time. Well, perhaps since the custodians did not know their current value, they should be sold.

Philip Bird, Nab Wood Terrace, Shipley