§ Mr. Brittanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether it has been the practice for the Director-General of the Ordnance Survey to attend meetings of the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee;
(2) whether it has in the past been the practice for the following officials of the Ordnance Survey to attend meetings of the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee in addition to the Director-General; the Director of Field Survey, the Director of Establishment and Finance, the Director of Map Publication, and the Deputy Director Publication;
(3) when the decision was taken by the Ordnance Survey to reconstitute the membership of its Archaeological Advisory Committee following the Committee's request in October 1976 that an independent chairman be appointed;
(4) whether the terms of reference of the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee have been changed in the recent process of reorganisation; and, if so, whether he will specify the changes;
(5) how many and which officials of the Ordnance Survey attended the first meeting of the reconstituted Archaeological Advisory Committee;
(6) what were the reasons for the change in the membership of the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee;
(7) how many of the 25 members of the former Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee who attended its 809W final meeting in October 1976 were invited to attend the first meeting of the reconstituted Archaeological Advisory Committee in October 1977;
(8) what advice was taken from members of the existing Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee concerning its future composition;
(9) why the Ordnance Survey withdrew secretarial services from the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee and transferred its place of meeting from the headquarters of the Ordnance Survey;
(10) what further archaeological advice was sought relating to the future composition of the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee;
(11) whether he intends to include representatives from archaeological organisations in Scotland on the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee;
(12)whether the following bodies, which sent representatives to the former Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee, are among those which have been invited to do so to the reconstituted Advisory Committee: the Royal Historical Society, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, the British Association for Advancement of Science, the Schools Council History Committee, the Victoria County Histories of England, the Association of County Archaeological Officers, and the Museums Association;
(13) whether the absence of the Director-General of the Ordnance Survey from the first meeting of the reconstituted Archaeological Advisory Committee was an oversight or a matter of policy;
(14) whether financial considerations were the principal factor in the decision to change the membership of the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee;
(15) whether the criticism in recent years by the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee of the policies of the Ordnance Survey was taken into account in the decision to reconstitute the Archaeological Advisory Committee.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThere are several subjects on which the Ordnance Survey has found it convenient to exchange advice with specialised outside interests by810W way of, inter alia, informal advisory committees. In the case of archaeology, a committee was formed in 1969 and until 1976 the Ordnance Survey provided the chairmanship, secretariat and venue. It was customary for the director-general, directors, and some deputy directors of the Survey to attend meetings.
In October 1976 the committee itself agreed, with a view to the advantages of greater independence, to consult the British Academy about reforming the committee under the academy's auspices and with an independent chairman, thus bringing it into line with the structure of several of the other advisory committees. The Ordnance Survey had no objection to this course. Members were informed on 9th June 1977 of the British Academy's willingness to act as proposed and no objections were made. The reconstituted committee held its first meeting on 24th October 1977. Its composition and procedures are a matter for the British Academy.
The Ordnance Survey was invited to be represented. The Assistant Director of Geodetic Services, whose responsibilities include the Survey's archaeology branch, attended the first meeting in this capacity. This does not exclude the possibility that the director-general could attend on future occasions if he judged this desirable.
The Archaeological Advisory Committee had from 1969 to 1976 the following terms of reference
To advise the Ordnance Survey on the interests of those who use the archaeological information on Ordnance Survey maps ".At its meeting in October 1976 the committee adopted new terms of reference as follows:To advise the Ordnance Survey on:
- 1. Its work in relation to the National Archaeological Record, both in graphic and non-intensive form, and on the interests of those who use this record.
- 2. The needs for, and the specifications of, suitable special archaeological and historical maps."
At its first meeting the reconstituted committee adopted, however, the following terms of reference:
811WTo advise the Council of the British Academy on the needs of archaeologists in relation to the service provided by the Ordnance Survey and on recommendations to be made to the Survey concerning such needs and on any other matters of special concern to archaeologists".
§ Mr. Brittanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether travel and subsistence expenses were sought or received by the former members of the Ordinance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee, when attending the annual meeting at Southampton.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThe Ordnance Survey has never paid expenses to members of its advisory committees. A proposal was made that this subject should be discussed at the meeting of the former Archaeological Advisory Committee in October 1976 but the matter was not pursued.
§ Mr. Brittanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of staffing in the archaeology division of the Ordnance Survey in October 1975: and what is the present level of staffing, giving details of the total salary budgets in each case.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThe levels of staffing in the Archaeology Branch of the Ordnance Survey are as follows:
Total salary budget October 1975 44 £185,105 Present 43 £221,056
§ Mr. Brittanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee, following the report of the working party chaired by Professor Grimes in 1973, urged the Ordnance Survey to augment staffing levels in its archaeology division.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettYes, but the proposal was not adopted.
§ Mr. Brittanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice the Director-General of the Ordnance Survey received from the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee in October 1976 and subsequently concerning the replacement of the Ordnance Survey Archaeology Office.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThe former archaeological advisory committee discussed at its meeting in 1976 the specifications for the post of archaeology officer. No specific advice on this subject was received from the reconstituted committee at its meeting in October 1977.
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§ Mr. Brittanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now seek the further advice of the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Advisory Committee on the desirability of filling the vacant position of Archaeology Officer, and also consult with the Royal Commissions on Historical Buildings and with the Ancient Monuments Board upon this matter.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThese matters are under consideration.