Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reports from independent companies and subject experts in sea bed restoration and conservation the Maritime Heritage Foundation have been submitted to the Expert Panel and Advisory Group, in respect to the wreck site of HMS Victory 1744.

Since 2008, when Odyssey Marine Exploration discovered the wreck of HMS Victory 1744, the site has been regularly monitored and the reports of several site surveys have been submitted to the Government. These include environmental studies of the site's sedimentology and suitability for in situ preservation and the wreck's marine biological profile have been completed by the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and the University of Huelva, Spain. In addition, the relevant passages in the Project Design have been considered by the Advisory Group and Expert Panel. Further, Wessex Archaeology produced two independent reports in 2009, which can be found at http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/reports/71070/hms-victory-1744.