§ Mr. CormackTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will issue the consultation paper, announced in the Environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance", Cm. 1200, on amendments to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
§ Sir George YoungA consultation paper has been issued today, for circulation in England, Scotland and Wales. The document puts forward a number of suggested improvements, including clarifying the definition of damage to an ancient monument and making it an offence to remove objects from scheduled sites. Copies of the document have been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses—consultees have two months within which to respond. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales will be consulting similarly.