§ Mr. OnslowTo ask the Prime Minister whether she has now completed her review of Departmental responsibilities for nautical archaeology; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterWe have completed the review of Departmental responsibilities for nautical archaeology. We have now proposed, in paragraph 9.36 of the White Paper "This Common Inheritance", that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment should assume responsibility for the protection of historic wrecks in English waters, and that similar transfers of responsibility should take place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This will bring together control of archaeology on land with that under water. We will be responding more fully to the Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee on the other matters raised in its report, "Heritage at Sea".