Rescue Archaeology (Hansard, 16 July 1992)

§ Mr. Wallace
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Government's policy with regard to rescue archaeology in Scotland.

§ Sir Hector Monro
Our policy is to ensure that rescue excavations are carried out whenever possible, to record archaeological sites which would otherwise be lost. Where the threat is from development we look to the developer to meet the costs of the excavation.

§ Mr. Wallace
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance his Department has issued to planning authorities in respect of rescue archaeological excavations where the urgency has been caused by(a) natural causes and (b) a development project.

§ Sir Hector Monro
In the case of(a), none; in the case of (b) archaeological desk assessment guidelines.

§ Mr. Wallace
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been spent on or allocated to the work of the central excavation unit in 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 in(a) Orkney, (b) Shetland and (c) Scotland.

§ Sir Hector Monro
The central excavation unit has not existed for a number of years. The amount of money spent by Historic Scotland and its predecessor body on rescue excavations in the years in question, with an estimate for 1992–93, was a follows:

1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 ¹1992–93

Orkney 0.098 0.108 0.151 0.102

Shetland 0.041 0.005 0.028 0.105

Scotland 0.996 1.373 1.605 1.016

¹ Estimated.

§ Mr. Wallace
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the annual budget of the central excavation unit was allocated in each of the last five years to rescue excavation in(a) Orkney, (b) Shetland and (c) Scotland: and what sum has been earmarked for each of these areas in the 1992–93 budget for rescue digs.

§ Sir Hector Monro
The central excavation unit has not existed for a number of years. The percentage of the annual budget for rescue archaeology in Scotland spent by Historic Scotland and its predecessor body in each of the last five years in Orkney and Shetland was a follows:

1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92

Orkney 16 13 10 8 9

Shetland 5 7 4 4 2

The percentage of the total archaeological budget for Scotland spent by Historic Scotland and its predecessor body on rescue archaeology was as follows:

1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92

94 86 81 85 87

Resources are not earmarked for particular areas but for projects. The amounts allocated for rescue projects in these areas in 1992–93 are as follows: 1019W

£ million

Orkney 0.102

Shetland 0.105

Scotland 1.016

	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	¹1992–93
Orkney	0.098	0.108	0.151	0.102
Shetland	0.041	0.005	0.028	0.105
Scotland	0.996	1.373	1.605	1.016
¹ Estimated.

	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92
Orkney	16	13	10	8	9
Shetland	5	7	4	4	2