Written question asked by Anthony Steen (Conservative) on Thursday, 18 December 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 7 January 2004. It was answered by Richard Caborn (Labour) on Wednesday, 7 January 2004 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 considerations resulted in her Department stopping vocational divers investigating (a) the wreck of a suspected Barbary Pirate ship off Gara rock in South Devon and (b) the Salcombe Canon site shipwreck. - Inc ref to Statutory Instrument 1997/2536.

Answer: Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what considerations resulted in her Department stopping vocational divers investigating (a) the wreck of a suspected Barbary pirate ship off Gara rock in South Devon and (b) the Salcombe Canon site shipwreck. [145775] Mr. Caborn: The sites referred to as (a) and (b) are the same site designated under the Statutory Instrument 1997/2536, known as the Salcombe Cannon Site. The reference to the suspected Barbary pirate ship has arisen after research has shown that Barbary pirates were active around the period of the ship wreck in the area of Salcombe. Since designation the Secretary of State has issued licences to survey, surface recover and excavate the site. At the time of writing there are no current licences on this site, as there has been no application made to the Secretary of State. The issuing of licences since 1997 has enabled continued investigation of this site by vocationally based teams backed up by professional archaeological advice. Over the last 18 months this system has been supported by English Heritage. The Government's contractor for archaeological services in support of the 1973 Act has also visited this site and others in South Devon this summer, managed by English Heritage and fully involving the divers licensed to investigate the sites.

Secondary information