§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness or otherwise of legislation relating to metal detectors in areas such as Roxburgh castle.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 18 June 1990]: The use of metal detectors on scheduled ancient 617W monuments, and the removal from a scheduled monument of any artefacts recovered by use of a metal detector, require the consent of the Secretary of State for Scotland under the terms of section 42 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. This requirement is being generally publicised through a leaflet recently published by Historic Buildings and Monuments, Scotland. On monuments where there has been a particular problem (in Borders and Dumfries and Galloway regions) signs have been erected warning anyone who might be intending to use a metal detector that the area is protected by law. These vulnerable sites also receive more frequent visits from Historic Buildings and Monuments' monument wardens and the local police have been asked both to monitor the sites and to assist the wardens as necessary.