Apologies for cross-posting.
List members may find the Hansard record for yesterday's House of Lords
second reading of the Culture and Recreation Bill of interest. The Bill
already has within it a number of provisions relating to archaeology, most
notably in creating new powers for English Heritage relating to marine and
maritime archaeology and the formalisation of the merger between RCHME and
English Heritage. The creation of a new body "Culture Online" and measures
relating to various national museums will also undoubtably be of interest to
many list members.
Yesterday's debate however also drew attention to a number of missing
measures that the Bill might usefully have included, such as making the
provision of Sites and Monuments Records a statutory responsibility as well
as various desirable amendments to Ancient Monument's legislation. Questions
were also raised as to the appropriate resourcing of underwater archaeology
under the proposed new arrangements. The Lords Renfrew, Redesdale and Roper
spoke with particular clarity and authority on these issues.
The full text of the debate is available online at the parliamentary
website:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds01/text/1
0118-04.htm#10118-04_head1
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Alex Hunt
Research and Conservation Officer
Council for British Archaeology
Bowes Morrell House
111 Walmgate
York
YO1 9WA
UK
Tel: +44 (0)1904 671417
Fax: +44 (0)1904 671384
http://www.britarch.ac.uk
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