HC Deb 17 July 2002 vol 389 cc407-8W
Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received regarding the initiative entitled Images of England by English Heritage; what steps she is taking to

preserve the privacy of home owners who do not wish to have their houses displayed; and if she will ask English Heritage to abandon this scheme. [69818]

Dr. Howells

English Heritage's Images of England project is currently taking a single external photograph of each of England's 370,000 listed buildings. The project is grant aided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and began in 1999. Details of all listed buildings are already in the public domain. The photographs are primarily being taken from public land and will be published on the project's website. Where it is not possible to take a photograph from publicly accessible land. the Images of England photographer will seek consent from the owner, and if it is refused, will not take a photograph.

English Heritage has also asked the Heritage Lottery Fund to approve an exemption scheme whereby photographs of private dwellings taken from public land will not be placed on the website for a period of 10 years if the owner requests this. I believe this strikes the right balance between the interests of the individual and the public.

The Government are keen to improve access to all publicly available information. We have no plans to ask English Heritage to abandon the scheme.

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