§ Mr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has received from English Heritage or the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments on the effects of the new agricultural policies being adopted by the Government in response to recent European Community directives, in relation to the future of archaeology in the upland and lowland regions of the United Kingdom.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State receives advice from English Heritage regularly on matters affecting ancient monuments and archaeology. English Heritage themselves maintain contact with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on all such matters. We are aware of the opportunities under EC directives to take agricultural land out of production and that these can sometimes help indirectly to safeguard archaeological sites on agricultural land. Alternative land use as such is however only one approach. There is a growing awareness of the importance of archaeology in the countryside and English Heritage are closely in touch with countryside interests. A tangible result of their efforts are the positive management agreements into which English Heritage enter with land owners for the safeguarding of archaeological sites.
205WWe are also aware of the report published by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England and the Council for British Archaeology on the Archaeology of the Uplands in 1987. English Heritage recently published a similar document which explains some of the ways in which monuments in the countryside (including upland and lowland areas) can be preserved and maintained.