7th December 2007, 10:11 PM
The most useful thing is for people to write to their MPs, as that has most effect, rather than their writing direct to the DCMS. This is because the Minister personally has to respond to MPs' letters. If they write to the Minister themselves, then he never sees them, as officials respond.
This message has been provided by Roger Bland , Head of Dept. of Portable Antiquities and Treasure, British Museum
I would also like to create a petition (to No. 10) that can be signed up to by archaeologists, detectorists and the public..
the wording is as follows
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to...
Secure the Future of the Portable Antiquities Scheme
The funding for PAS comes from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) whose budget is being cut by 25% over the next three years. Although the ministers at the DCMS have been supportive of the PAS and the work they carry out they failed to ring fence the funding for the future of the PAS.
At a meeting of the Scheme's Advisory Group on Wednesday the Chief Executive of MLA, Roy Clare, announced that PAS funding for next year would be frozen at this year's level (£1.3 million), even though at the press conference for our Annual Report he and the Minister announced that the funding for PAS's current levels of activity would be preserved next year.
The PAS as an organisation of 50 staff needs £1.49 million to keep going at the same level of activity in 2008.
Freezing the PAS budget will mean losing 5 posts out of 50.
The MLA also wants to review PAS's funding for 2009/11 and integrate them into the programme called Renaissance in the Regions which it is funding 42 hub museums. If that happens the work of the (FLOs) will be diluted and the national side of PAS will be weakened. This will result in 9 different regional PASs, all with their own priorities.
This uncertainty is incredibly damaging to the morale of hard-working FLOs who at the moment don't know if they have a job after March. The DCMS, from whom funding is provided, needs to become involved immediatly. If necessary the DCMS should reassign the PAS from MLA to an organisation that is committed to the work of PAS. At a time where Heritage and recognition of the public interest in our shared heritage, to act in such a manner is contrary to the principal of providing support to the public and providing a secure and sustainable future for the PAS.
Get on it now!
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
This message has been provided by Roger Bland , Head of Dept. of Portable Antiquities and Treasure, British Museum
I would also like to create a petition (to No. 10) that can be signed up to by archaeologists, detectorists and the public..
the wording is as follows
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to...
Secure the Future of the Portable Antiquities Scheme
The funding for PAS comes from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) whose budget is being cut by 25% over the next three years. Although the ministers at the DCMS have been supportive of the PAS and the work they carry out they failed to ring fence the funding for the future of the PAS.
At a meeting of the Scheme's Advisory Group on Wednesday the Chief Executive of MLA, Roy Clare, announced that PAS funding for next year would be frozen at this year's level (£1.3 million), even though at the press conference for our Annual Report he and the Minister announced that the funding for PAS's current levels of activity would be preserved next year.
The PAS as an organisation of 50 staff needs £1.49 million to keep going at the same level of activity in 2008.
Freezing the PAS budget will mean losing 5 posts out of 50.
The MLA also wants to review PAS's funding for 2009/11 and integrate them into the programme called Renaissance in the Regions which it is funding 42 hub museums. If that happens the work of the (FLOs) will be diluted and the national side of PAS will be weakened. This will result in 9 different regional PASs, all with their own priorities.
This uncertainty is incredibly damaging to the morale of hard-working FLOs who at the moment don't know if they have a job after March. The DCMS, from whom funding is provided, needs to become involved immediatly. If necessary the DCMS should reassign the PAS from MLA to an organisation that is committed to the work of PAS. At a time where Heritage and recognition of the public interest in our shared heritage, to act in such a manner is contrary to the principal of providing support to the public and providing a secure and sustainable future for the PAS.
Get on it now!
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu