Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements his Department is making for direct, on board ship monitoring of the work on the HMS Victory wreck site by independent archaeologists.

Phased fieldwork on the site will be controlled by the Maritime Heritage Foundation (MHF) and its Scientific Advisory Committee, chaired by Dr Margaret Rule CBE, who led the project to raise the Mary Rose, and will follow the agreed Project Design. Extensive scientific progress reports will be provided to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for its use in decisions to consent to any further work. The MOD has the right to inspect work being conducted at the site. All organisations engaged in such work have given a commitment that the quality of archaeological work on the project will meet or exceed requirements set by the MOD. Examples of scientific reports documenting the non-disturbance phases of the project design are available for public review at www.victory1744.org/publications.html

In addition, any licences granted to the MHF by the Marine Management Organisation for works relating to the wreck of HMS Victory 1744 may include a condition requiring monitoring of the activities by an independent archaeologist if that is considered appropriate.