HC Deb 19 July 1996 vol 281 cc716-7W
Dr. Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what financial contribution Her Majesty's Government have made to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as a participant in its world heritage programme; what contributions will be made in the future; and if she will make a statement on the value for money to the UK of such contributions; [37970]

(2) if she will list all sites and monuments in the United Kingdom which have been preserved as part of the world heritage convention; [37969]

(3) what action Her Majesty's Government have taken to establish Greenwich as a world heritage site under the UNESCO convention concerning the protection of world cultural and national heritage; what advantages would attach to Greenwich of such recognition in terms of preservation and culture; and if she will make a statement. [37971]

Mr. Sproat

Last month, my right hon. Friend submitted a formal nomination to UNESCO to have maritime Greenwich inscribed in the list of world heritage sites. Inscription in the list is essentially honorific and no additional statutory controls follow. It does, however, highlight the outstanding international importance of a site as a material consideration to be taken into account by those deciding planning and listed building consent applications. A full statement of our policy for world heritage sites is set out in planning policy guidance note 15 "Planning and the Historic Environment" UNESCO's world heritage committee places great importance on the production of management plans for all inscribed sites, and the Government will shortly be consulting interested parties about the development of such a plan for Greenwich. The Government pay an annual subscription to UNESCO's world heritage fund; in 1996, this was £126,000. Our contribution helps UNESCO support endangered sites throughout the world. There are currently 16 sites for which the UK has responsibility.

  • Durham cathedral and castle
  • Fountains abbey, St. Mary's church and Studley royal park
  • Ironbridge gorge
  • Stonehenge, Avebury and associated sites
  • Blenheim palace and park
  • Palace of Westminster, St. Margaret's church and Westminster abbey
  • City of Bath
  • Hadrian's wall military zone
  • The Tower of London
  • Canterbury cathedral, with St. Augustine's abbey and St. Martin's church
  • Castles and towns walls of Edward I in Gwynedd
  • Edinburgh old and new towns
  • St. Kilda
  • Giant's causeway and causeway coast
  • Henderson island, south Pacific ocean
  • Gough island wildlife reserve, south Atlantic ocean