HC Deb 24 May 2004 vol 421 cc1288-9
2. Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)

What assessment she has made of the all-party archaeology group's report on the state of archaeology in the United Kingdom. [174892]

The Minister for the Arts (Estelle Morris)

The Government welcome the all-party archaeology group's report. Its recommendations will form a useful contribution to the ongoing review of heritage protection.

Tim Loughton

I welcome the Minister's comments, but her predecessor undertook to give a formal response to the report, and it has been out since January 2003. May I bring to her attention two points in it? First, the Illicit Trade Advisory Panel, which was set up in 2000, has been successful in its recommendations. The trouble is that only three of those 16 recommendations have so far been put into practice, and she is now recommending winding it up. Will she reconsider that? On the portable antiquities scheme, will she agree to accept an all-party delegation of those of us who are concerned that the Government should take the scheme fully under their wing after the funding ends in 2006? It has been so successful, as I saw in my area in Sussex last Friday, that it is in danger of being swamped as a result, and the Government need to take it under their wing and fund it properly after 2006

Estelle Morris

I take the point about the report having been published in January last year. I believe that my right hon. Friend the Minister for Media and Heritage met the all-party group last October—I stand to be corrected if I am wrong—and I will pass the hon. Gentleman's comments to him.

I share the hon. Gentleman's enthusiasm for what the portable antiquities scheme has achieved, but all I can say now is that the funding is secure for another one or two years. Obviously we cannot make an announcement until we have the results of our spending review bid, but I hope very much that the Government will be able to bear the costs. The Department has put in £1.5 million so far. I shall say no more for the moment, but I will probably report in the autumn.

I shall shortly meet the chairman of the Illicit Trade Advisory Panel. I want to discuss with him what will happen following representations he has made to me. Perhaps I shall have further news after that meeting.

Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow) (Lab)

Are the Government giving a friendly response to recommendation 7 on the framework and funding of the portable antiquities scheme?

Estelle Morris

I personally am giving it an exceptionally friendly response. The problem is persuading other Ministers to give a more friendly response to it than to other bids.

The £1.5 million invested by the Department is not a huge amount, but it has achieved a great deal. There were 87,000 finds last year, and 20,000 people are now taking part in the activity, of whom 4,000 are children. I think it would be a shame if the scheme did not continue. Perhaps my words will fall on favourable ears.

All I can say now is that the bid is there and the intention is to continue the funding. It would be silly to say more than I have dared to say thus far without knowing exactly what will happen to our settlement in the next spending review. More risk than that I am not about to take.