31Designation and undertakings
(1)The Treasury may designate under this section—
(a)any pictures, prints, books, manuscripts, works of art, scientific collections or other things not yielding income which appear to the Treasury to be of national, scientific, historic or artistic interest;
(b)any land which in the opinion of the Treasury is of outstanding scenic or historic or scientific interest;
(c)any building for the preservation of which special steps should in the opinion of the Treasury be taken by reason of its outstanding historic or architectural interest;
(d)any land which adjoins such a building as is mentioned in paragraph (c) above and which in the opinion of the Treasury is essential for the protection of the character and amenities of the building;
(e)any object which in the opinion of the Treasury is historically associated with such a building as is mentioned in paragraph (c) above.
(2)In the case of property within subsection (1)(a) above, the requisite undertaking is that, until the person beneficially entitled to the property dies or the property is disposed of, whether by sale or gift or otherwise—
(a)the property will be kept permanently in the United Kingdom and will not leave it temporarily except for a purpose and a period approved by the Treasury, and
(b)reasonable steps will be taken for the preservation of the property and for securing reasonable access to the public.
(3)If it appears to the Treasury, on a claim made for the purpose, that any documents which are designated or to be designated under subsection (1)(a) above contain information which for personal or other reasons ought to be treated as confidential, they may exclude those documents, either altogether or to such extent as they think fit, from so much of an undertaking given or to be given under subsection (2)(b) above as relates to public access.
(4)In the case of other property within subsection (1) above, the requisite undertaking is that, until the person beneficially ; entitled to the property dies or the property is disposed of, whether by sale or gift or otherwise, reasonable steps will be taken—
(a)in the case of land falling within subsection (1)(b) above, for the maintenance of the land and the preservation of its character, and
(b)in the case of any other property, for the maintenance, repair and preservation of the property and, if it is an object falling within subsection (1)(e) above, for keeping it associated with the building concerned;
and for securing reasonable access to the public.
(5)In this section " national interest" includes interest within any part of the United Kingdom.