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Verulamium Roman Town
Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What assessment has been made of the effects of deep-ploughing at Verulamium; and why they have not taken effective steps to prevent the landowner or his tenants from continuing the consequent destruction of stratified late Roman levels at this site.[HL5357]
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone): The Oxford Archaeological Unit (on behalf of English Heritage) carried out a programme of test pitting in the north-western half of Verulamium Roman Town. It's report, published in May 2000, indicated that there was evidence of erosion of the archaeological resource in part of the site.
English Heritage embarked on negotiations with the estate owner with a view to agreeing terms by which the land could voluntarily be taken out of cultivation. Although there have been extensive discussions, English Heritage and the estate owner have not been able to make a long term agreement about the land. For the moment, however, the estate has agreed to limit its activity at the monument to minimal cultivation. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is now reviewing the options open to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State in order to find a long-term solution to safeguard the archaeology at the monument.
Officials have informed the owner that the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is considering what action to take to protect the monument.
Historic Environment
Baroness Hilton of Eggardon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress has been made on implementing the recommendations contained in the Government's statement on historic environment: A Force for Our Future.[HL5582]
Baroness Blackstone : Since A Force for Our Future was published in December 2001 the following has been achieved:
The listed Places of Worship Grant scheme was launched.
Paradise Preserved, a guide to local authorities and cemetery managers on the care of the built and natural history of cemeteries was published.
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment put in place arrangements for providing advice on all post-war listing proposals.
The Heritage Lottery Fund's strategic plan for 2002–07, agreed with the DCMS, DEFRA and the then DTLR was published. Entitled Broadening the Horizons of Heritage it sets out proposals, among other things, to ensure that everyone can learn about, have access to and enjoy their heritage.
The DCMS quinquennial review of English Heritage was completed with the full involvement of the DTLR (now OPDM), DEFRA, HMT and DfES. English Heritage is taking forward the
recommendations as part of its modernisation programme.The review of PPG 15 Planning and Historic Environment and PPG16 Archaeology and Planning commenced with full involvement from the sector.
Heritage Link, an umbrella organisation for the voluntary organisations working in the sector was established. It will be formally launched in December.
The Construction Industry Training Board set up a heritage working group with full participation of the Building Skills Action Group and English Heritage to coordinate the promotion of heritage skills. English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund are promoting training in conservation craft skills by making it a requirement that all projects over £1 million produce a training plan, and by supporting training, including modern apprenticeships, as part of wider projects. HLF also supports stand-alone projects for training volunteers in heritage skills.
The consultation document People and Places: a draft social inclusion policy for the built and historic environment, was launched by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport during Architecture Week.
The National Heritage Act 2002 Act came into force. This allows English Heritage to operate in overseas countries and to become involved in underwater archaeology in territorial waters adjacent to England. A statutory instrument specifying the boundaries of English territorial waters is being drafted in consultation with the devolved administrations and other relevant bodies.
The statutory order extending the definition of "Treasure" was laid before Parliament in July. It comes into force in January 2003 subject to its successful passage through both Houses.
English Heritage hosted a workshop with key players in the sector to consider how to take forward the consultation on how to broaden access to the historic environment. This was informed by the National Trust leaflet Making History Matter.
English Heritage published a consultation document Making the Most of our Civic Heritage—some guiding principles for decision makers—at the Local Government Association conference in June.
Sustainable Communities: Delivering through Planning, sets out the Government's plans for transforming the planning system.
DEFRA has agreed that English Heritage become a distributor for the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, alongside the Countryside Agency and English Nature. Together they will disburse over £30 million to mitigate the impact of aggregates extraction.
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment has distributed Our Street: Learning to See and From One Street to Another to every school in the UK.
This is only the beginning of the process. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are working closely with the sector to take this forward. We will publish a full progress report in December.
Scotland and England: Anniversaries of the Act of Union and of the Joining of the Crowns
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to celebrate in 2007 the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union between Scotland and England; and[HL4882]
What plans they have to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the joining of the crowns of Scotland and England in 2003.[HL5043]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government have, at present, no plans to celebrate either event.
Single Currency
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What studies they have made of the discussion paper by Mr Christopher Taylor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research on Sterling Volatility and European Monetary Union, and whether they agree with his conclusions, notably in relation to the greater exposure of the United Kingdom economy to non-European Union trade than to the main eurozone economies.[HL5358]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Over half our total trade is with Europe, with over 3 million jobs affected.
The Government have said that they will complete an assessment of the five economic tests within two years of the start of this Parliament. The assessment will be comprehensive and rigorous.
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What view they take of the conclusion in the discussion paper by Mr Christopher Taylor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research that greater volatility between the euro and the United States dollar is in prospect.[HL5359]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government do not comment on developments or prospects in the foreign exchange market.
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they accept the conclusion of the discussion paper by Mr Christopher Taylor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research that the Bank of England Exchange Rate Index severely misrepresents the reality of the global pattern of United Kingdom trade and investment.[HL5360]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Bank of England Effective Exchange Rate Index is calculated according to a methodology set out by the IMF, using shares of UK manufacturing trade for 1989–1991. It is desirable to maintain a stable and transparent methodology for calculating such an index in order for it to be comparable across time and across countries.
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What conclusions they draw from the recent study by Mr Christopher Taylor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research concerning the importance of the United States dollar to the United Kingdom economy and the dangers of increased overall currency volatility if sterling is merged into the euro.[HL5361]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government have said that they will complete an assessment of the five economic tests within two years of the start of this Parliament. The assessment will be comprehensive and rigorous.
Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 16 July (WA129), whether they will now give a substantive answer to the question "whether any decision to abolish the pound and adopt the euro would be irrevocable; and, if so, how the constitutional principle that one Parliament cannot bind its successor would be maintained" instead of referring to previous answers which do not provide such a substantive answer.[HL5410]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: As I said in the House on 24 June 1999, "any country which chooses to enter EMU does so on the basis that it is an irrevocable step." The Chancellor confirmed this in his recent Mansion House speech, saying, "the decision [on EMU] is not just momentous, but irreversible." That is why, as the Chancellor said in his Mansion House speech, "the national economic interest—full employment, high and sustainable levels of investment and growth, long-term prosperity—is, and should be seen to be, the decisive factor."
As I also made clear in the debate on 24 June 1999, any recommendation by government to join EMU would need to be agreed by a vote in Parliament, before being put to a referendum of the British people.
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