tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3638837144278661276.post-24054222434303109642008-02-01T08:56:00.000-05:002008-02-01T08:56:00.000-05:002008-02-01T08:56:00.000-05:00The British minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism Margaret Hodge addressed the issues raised by campaigners: <BR/>http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2008-01-28a.6.1&s=speaker%3A10371#g6.4 It turns out that several fundamental misrepresentations have been made. <BR/><BR/>There was further discussion this week in a BBC Radio 4 interview with both the director of the PAS Roger Bland and Roy Clare, the Chief Executive of the MLA, [a copy is currently embedded in the Portable Antiquities website Blog http://www.finds.org.uk/wordpress/] Admiral Clare sets the record straight about the current situation and points out that a lot of the criticisms he and his staff have had to fend off is based on foundationless rumour. <BR/><BR/>An interesting development is the publication on a metal detecting site of what appears to be a leaked internal document intended for the British DCMS <BR/>http://ourpasthistory.com/md/pas_1.pdf If this is genuine and we look at what is proposed, it is difficult to see where the “national” status of the organization is actually "threatened" by the current situation. <BR/><BR/>Pending the results of the promised review of the PAS this summer, the concerns raised mainly by a small pressure group which has emerged in the British artefact collecting community do seem to be a little overblown. Perhaps we should see what the independent review actually states before announcing that 'the sky is falling'. <BR/><BR/>Paul BarfordPaul Barfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.com