§ Mr. AllanTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to proceed with the case against Mr. Robert Duqueria for the alleged removal of objects from the scheduled site of Cunetio, Wiltshire on her strategy to protect archaeological sites in England; and if she will make a statement. [172212]
§ Estelle MorrisIt is for the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether any prosecutions are in the public interest and it judges each case on its individual merit. Through the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and the Treasure Act 1996, there is a framework of legislation in place to protect important heritage sites. I would expect those, who operate in this area would do so in accordance with the law.
In addition, the recently expanded Portable Antiquities Scheme, through its network of Finds Liaison Officers, is designed to encourage closer working relations between archaeologists and metal detector users.