Written question asked by Gordon Prentice (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 April 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 23 April 2009. It was answered by Lord Beamish (Labour) on Monday, 27 April 2009 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

World War I: Battlefields

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will hold discussions with representatives of the Belgian government on the preservation of First World War battlefield sites; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: While there are no plans for discussions with representatives of the Belgian Government on the preservation of First World War battlefield sites, the Government do maintain a close interest in these sites. Although my Department's policy is to discourage their disturbance, we do however recognise that in parts of Europe land reclamation and construction activity will mean that battlefields may need to be disturbed. In such cases, on behalf of the UK, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) keeps in close contact with the Belgian authorities who are fully aware that the discovery of any remains of British or Commonwealth service personnel is to be immediately reported to the CWGC and the local police. They are also aware of the need to protect the remains together with any associated artefacts and personal effects for possible identification and re-burial.

Secondary information