Written question asked by Tam Dalyell (Labour) on Tuesday, 24 October 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 November 2000. It was answered by Lord Howarth of Newport (Labour) on Monday, 6 November 2000 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Dept for Culture Media and Sport

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made since his meeting in May with the honourable Members for Knowsley South and Linlithgow on the protection of sites of marine archaeological interest.

Answer: Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made since his meeting in May with the hon. Members for Knowsley, South (Mr. O'Hara) and Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on the protection of sites of marine archaeological interest. [135329] Mr. Alan Howarth: The Government remain fully committed to securing, at the earliest opportunity, the necessary legislation to provide English Heritage with powers below the mean low water mark. This will place underwater archaeology on the same footing as land based archaeology, allowing access to English Heritage grant funds and support which are currently not available to underwater archaeological work. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working on placing, during the current financial year, a number of wreck marker buoys and information signs at or near to sites which are designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. We are continuing to support, through the Heritage Grant Fund, a maritime archaeological project undertaken by the Hampshire and Wight Trust and the archaeological diving training programme provided by the Nautical Archaeological Society.

Secondary information