§ Mr. MartlewTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department takes to ensure that all archaeological monuments on military land are(a) 71W protected from damage and destruction (b) effectively managed; how many scheduled monuments are contained on land owned by his Department; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonMy Department is very conscious of its responsibilities for the stewardship of archaeological monuments. The majority are located on military training areas and, where necessary, restrictions are imposed on the types of training which can be undertaken. On the largest training area, Salisbury Plain, we have recently completed a management agreement for the major archaeological site groups in conjunction with English Heritage; elsewhere monuments are cared for by the defence land agent in close consultation with the relevant national and county archaeological bodies. The exact number of archaeological monuments on the defence estate could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.