§ Mr. Gerald BowdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on archaeology and development.
§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has given to developers to accommodate archaeological investigations in development briefs.
Mrs. BottomleyRecent archaeological discoveries in London have highlighted the growing interest in our archaeological heritage.
Very considerable progress has been made in recent years. In 1986 a code of practice was agreed between archaeologists and developers which led last year to developers voluntarily contributing some £14m towards archaeological investigations.
The Government and English Heritage for their part must ensure that all those involved—local authoritities, local people, developers, businesses—have adequate information on the existing sources of expertise and on the relevant statutory and planning framework. We are proposing to issue new guidance this summer which will set out, amongst other things, guidelines on how archaeology should be handled in development plans and in development control decisions, the scope for prior archaeological evaluation before development, and the appropriate use of planning conditions for archaeological excavations.