§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans his Department has to preserve the section of Offa's Dyke at Rhostyllen, near Wrexham, Clwyd, currently offered for sale; and if he will make a statement. [12872]
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesResponsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. T. J. Cassidy, to reply to the hon. Member.
Letter from T. J. Cassidy to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 2 February 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question in which you asked about the Department's plans to preserve a section of Offa's Dyke at Rhostyllen which is currently offered for sale.Cadw's interest arises as the Agency has day to day responsibility for the Secretary of State's functions under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. These include our work related to ancient monuments scheduled—that is protected—under the provisions of the Act. Much of Offa's Dyke is scheduled—including the section to which you refer.Given the importance of the Dyke I can assure you that Cadw takes a close interest in the various sections which are routinely monitored by our Field Monument Wardens. In 1991 we commissioned a full field assessment of the Dyke which confirmed that the Welsh sections were appropriately scheduled including the section at Rhostyllen, currently offered for sale.I understand that it is owned by British Coal and has been offered for sale as part of the company's disposal of its non-mining assets. Its sale will not affect its scheduled status. I am told by our professional staff that this section of the Dyke is in good condition, and we will draw the monument's importance to the attention of any new owner.