§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the damage caused by vandals to one of the unexcavated Anglo-Saxon burial mounds at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, he will take steps to improve the security of this and other ancient monuments of similar significance.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneAbout 400 scheduled monuments are in Government care. Of the other 12,000 or so, some are in the ownership or guardianship of local authorities, but most, including Sutton Hoo, are in private hands. Many are in remote places or open fields. It is often impractical to prevent access to them, and only in a few cases would238W round-the-clock custody or patrols be justified. The damage at Sutton Hoo, though regrettable, does not point to the need for new measures by central Government It must remain the responsibility of the owner or guardian of each monument to do whatever is reasonable for its security, and the general public also have a responsibility to be watchful against prospective vandals.