Written question asked by Mohammad Yasin (Labour) on Thursday, 19 November 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 November 2020. It was answered by Nigel Huddleston (Conservative) on Thursday, 26 November 2020 on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Metal Detectors: Coronavirus

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Government's guidance on searching for archaeological finds in England during COVID-19, what evidence basis his Department used to determine that metal detecting could continue in public outdoor spaces but not on privately owned land during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown.

Answer: The Guidance on searching for archaeological finds in England during Covid-19 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-searching-for-archaeological-finds-in-england-during-covid-19) on the gov.uk website explains how the legal restrictions in force in England from 5 November under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions)(England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 impact the activity of metal detecting. In particular, the guidance outlines the effect of the restriction on leaving home without reasonable excuse (under regulation 5), and the exception to that restriction (in regulation 6(2)(d)) which permits a person to visit a "public outdoor place" for the purposes of open air recreation." The definition of a “public outdoor place” for this purpose does not include privately owned land to which the general public does not have access.

Secondary information