National Archaeology Week Opportunity To Get Digging

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 16th Jul 2006

Commenting on the launch of National Archaeology Week tomorrow, Paul Holmes MP, Liberal Democrat MP for Chesterfield and Spokesperson for Arts and Heritage said:

"National Archaeology Week is an excellent opportunity for people to get involved in archaeology and find out about the past by visiting a dig, handling artefacts, or even building an ancient monument.

"National Archaeology Week will run between Saturday 15th and Sunday 23rd July with events taking place all over the country.

"Archaeology is an essential to our heritage. The Liberal Democrats are committed to supporting archaeology and we want an inter-departmental committee on archaeology to be set up at ministerial level.

"The heritage sector has suffered from government duplication and waste. Four separate quangos distribute money and advice to the heritage sector. The Liberal Democrats want a single Heritage Agency to cut waste and focus resources where they are really needed by archaeology.

"The recent announcement by Tessa Jowell that the share of lottery funding given to the heritage sector will remain the same is welcome, but this level of funding must be maintained in the longer term."

Further information about National Archaeology Week and the events taking place locally can be found at: http://www.britarch.ac.uk/naw/