Commonwealth War Graves: Pilckem Ridge (Hansard, 21 January 2002)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
My Lords, the Government have made no such representations, but the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is in discussion with the Belgian authorities. The route of the proposed road will not encroach on any Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries, but the Government recognise the sensitivity of this issue and would resist any proposal which would affect these important sites.
We expect that the Belgian authorities will continue to honour our war dead, both in existing cemeteries and where remains are newly discovered.

§ Lord Faulkner of Worcester
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. He is aware that twice in recent weeks I have visited this unique and extraordinarily unspoilt site at Ypres, which is much the same as it was before the First World War. Does my noble friend appreciate that the principal objection to the proposed road lies in the fact that it would cut the Pilckem Ridge battlefield site in half? It would destroy its attraction as a place of pilgrimage for up to a quarter of a million visitors a year, particularly those visiting the 12 or so Commonwealth war graves cemeteries, seven of which would be only just a few metres from the motorway traffic and thus have their tranquillity destroyed. Is my noble friend prepared to lend his support to the campaign that is now under way to persuade UNESCO to designate the entire battlefield as a world heritage site and so leave in peace the tens of thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers who lie in unmarked graves across the Pilckem Ridge?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, the proposed extension to the road is a matter for the Belgian authorities. It has been opposed by local interest groups for many years. My noble friend's recent visits have added extra force to that opposition. If the extension were to go ahead and the remains of war dead were unearthed, as occurs as often as 60 times a year from ordinary farming activity and other development in the area, we would expect the Belgian authorities to show the same sensitivity as they have always shown, and that includes treating the remains with due respect.
The Flemish Minister for the Interior, who is responsible for heritage affairs, has informed the Belgian Minister for the Interior of his intention to start procedures for the recognition of war relics as world heritage matters. That, too, is a matter for the Belgian authorities. I cannot comment further at the moment.
The Flemish authorities have confirmed that a final decision on the road extension would be taken only after an environmental impact study had been carried out. That is a significant assurance against concern that the tranquillity of the site as a place of pilgrimage could be destroyed. That is a rather long answer, but I hope that it goes some way to satisfy the House.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, is the Minister aware that it is right that, in the first instance, the 1330 Commonwealth War Graves Commission should make such representations as it feels necessary? So far as concerns the designation of the UNESCO world heritage site, is the Minister further aware that it would be absolutely right for Ministers in his Government to give support to that?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, I am aware of that. But first things first. As I told the House a moment ago, the Belgian Minister of the Interior has been told by the Flemish Minister, the regional Minister, that he is to start procedures for the recognition of war relics as world heritage matters. I do not think that that is a bad beginning.

§ Lord Burnham
My Lords, what representations are Her Majesty's Government making with regard to the British cemetery at Rosiéres and two other smaller cemeteries which are on the site of the proposed third Paris airport? This also is the site of a much larger French cemetery.

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, it is too early for us to make representations. The French Government have not released any approved plans for a new international airport which might affect historic battlefields to the north of Paris. But, as my honourable friend Dr Lewis Moonie said in another place last week, if these matters went ahead we would certainly have strong representations to make.

§ Baroness Strange
My Lords, is the Minister aware that many people in Belgium have written to me saying that they also are very concerned about the scale of the roadworks envisaged and, further, that they might turn up all kinds of graves of people who are lying along the ridge in the battlefield where they fell in 1917?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness. Yes, Her Majesty's Government are very aware of the strong feelings about this matter, not just in Belgium but also in this country and in this House.

§ Lord Morris of Manchester
My Lords, perhaps I may return briefly to the related and deeply sensitive issue of the French Government's widely reported decision to build a third Paris airport on a Somme battlefield where British war graves are sited, which I raised in a recent Parliamentary Question helpfully answered by my noble friend. Can he now say what response there has been to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's representations to the French Ministry of the Interior about the strong feeling in this country, not least in the ex-service community, on this issue?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. He gave me advance notice of his question. Therefore, I was able to check this morning through my department with the Commonwealth War Graves 1331 Commission whether it had had any response. It has not yet had any response. When it has, my noble friend will be the first to know.

§ Lord Eden of Winton
My Lords, I strongly support the original Question put by the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner of Worcester. While taking considerable comfort from the answers given by the Minister, will he take the opportunity of drawing the British Ambassador's attention to these exchanges in this place this afternoon so that he in turn can make the due approaches to the relevant Minister in order to emphasise the very strong feelings held in all parts of this House and in this country, that this vitally important and significant memorial to the dead—to those who sacrificed their lives for the preservation of freedom—should be preserved?

§ Lord Bach
My Lords, I very much take on board what the noble Lord has said. I shall personally make sure that Her Majesty's Ambassador hears about these exchanges.