Post by Boness Sub Aqua on Feb 8, 2006 13:11:19 GMT
At the Plymouth wreck conference at the weekend leaflets were circulated concerning two Governmental review groups that are currently looking at wreck legislation. These groups have been formed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. One group is looking at salvage law, the other at wreck designation and protection.
Among the propsals being considered it is aleged that the following are on the table;
1 All wrecks over 50 years old to be designated as historic wrecks and protected as such.
2 Mandatory that divers report all items or wrecks they find to the government
3 Salvage awards to be abolished
4 A massive extension of the number of Designated sites and protected wrecks under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 to include any wreck that involved any loss of life, whether military or merchant seaman.
The leaflet also stated that the DCM&S will not allow any representation on these working groups from the Diving organisations.
I'm sure that everyone will appreciate that wrecks do need to be protected, and that something sensible could be agreed on - however to do this without representation from UK divers would not go down well.
Yorkshire Divers have scripted out a letter which they suggest that converned divers fax to their local MP. (whcih you can find out here www.locata.co.uk/commons/)
I've attached the suggested text below.
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Dear MP
I write to you as one of the 150,000 active UK divers.
Two Governmental working parties have been set up by the Department for Culture Media and Sport to look at wreck legislation. One group is looking at salvage law, the other at wreck designation and protection.
The original consultation called for “A positive approach to managing the marine historic environment, which will be transparent, inclusive, effective and sustainable and central to social, environmental and economic agendas at a local as well as national level and a legislative framework that protects the marine historic environment but enables appropriate management techniques to be applied and evolve.”
No organisation has more interest in the identification and preservation of wrecks than the active UK diving community, whose co-operation will greatly assist efforts to protect and catalogue our underwater heritage. Yet the Department for Culture Media and Sport has not permitted any representation on these working groups from the Diving organisations.
I would therefore be grateful if you would write, on my behalf, to the Minister responsible for this at the DCMS, David Lammy, asking that representatives from UK diving organisations are invited to join and contribute to the working parties and let me have sight of the Minister’s reply.
ENDS
You may, in addition, wish to write to David Lammy directly at the DCMS and to Mark Field MP (Shadow Minister for Culture) at the House of Commons.
If you live in a costal area, or run a dive busniess, make sure your MP knows this.
Among the propsals being considered it is aleged that the following are on the table;
1 All wrecks over 50 years old to be designated as historic wrecks and protected as such.
2 Mandatory that divers report all items or wrecks they find to the government
3 Salvage awards to be abolished
4 A massive extension of the number of Designated sites and protected wrecks under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 to include any wreck that involved any loss of life, whether military or merchant seaman.
The leaflet also stated that the DCM&S will not allow any representation on these working groups from the Diving organisations.
I'm sure that everyone will appreciate that wrecks do need to be protected, and that something sensible could be agreed on - however to do this without representation from UK divers would not go down well.
Yorkshire Divers have scripted out a letter which they suggest that converned divers fax to their local MP. (whcih you can find out here www.locata.co.uk/commons/)
I've attached the suggested text below.
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Dear MP
I write to you as one of the 150,000 active UK divers.
Two Governmental working parties have been set up by the Department for Culture Media and Sport to look at wreck legislation. One group is looking at salvage law, the other at wreck designation and protection.
The original consultation called for “A positive approach to managing the marine historic environment, which will be transparent, inclusive, effective and sustainable and central to social, environmental and economic agendas at a local as well as national level and a legislative framework that protects the marine historic environment but enables appropriate management techniques to be applied and evolve.”
No organisation has more interest in the identification and preservation of wrecks than the active UK diving community, whose co-operation will greatly assist efforts to protect and catalogue our underwater heritage. Yet the Department for Culture Media and Sport has not permitted any representation on these working groups from the Diving organisations.
I would therefore be grateful if you would write, on my behalf, to the Minister responsible for this at the DCMS, David Lammy, asking that representatives from UK diving organisations are invited to join and contribute to the working parties and let me have sight of the Minister’s reply.
ENDS
You may, in addition, wish to write to David Lammy directly at the DCMS and to Mark Field MP (Shadow Minister for Culture) at the House of Commons.
If you live in a costal area, or run a dive busniess, make sure your MP knows this.
