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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the Government of France regarding the preservation of Loos battlefield; and if he will make a statement. [198532] Mr. MacShane: Her Majesty's consul general at Lille, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Director for Information, visited an area of the Loos Battlefields on 12 November and met the Mayor of Auchy les Mines and the landowner of a local landfill site. The consul general highlighted strong public concern in the UK following media reports that waste material was being deposited in an area where British soldiers fell during the 1915 Battle of Loos. At the end of the First World War, British authorities cleared the battlefield and soldiers' remains were interred in local CWGC cemeteries. The consul general reminded the local authorities of their obligation to treat any further remains of British and Commonwealth soldiers, should they be discovered, with dignity and respect, and CWGC have followed up in writing. The French authorities decided to cease this particular landfill operation from 17 November 2004. We will remain fully engaged with all British and Commonwealth War Grave issues throughout France and around the world.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

198532; 426 c1786-7W;426 c1790-1W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Conservation Archaeological sites France World War I Battles Battle of Loos

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk