A Public Accounts Committee report has highlighted concerns over the impact of Brexit, leadership effectiveness and safeguarding of benefits. The report notes that the Government aims to increase total UK investment in research from 1.68% in 2015 to 2.4% of GDP in 2027 but it lacks an …
Leaving the EU: Tourism and the Creative Industries debate
Christine Jardine MP moved that ‘That this House has considered the effect of the UK leaving the EU on tourism and the creative industries’. During the debate Ed Vaizey MP, Conservative, stated ‘Tourism is a hugely important industry—the fourth or fifth most important in our country—that depends …
Heritage is about ‘pits as well as its palaces’
The Daily Mirror has covered the as yet unavailable All-Party Parliamentary Group Report on Industrial Heritage which many Heritage Alliance members contributed to. The Mirror reports that MPs and peers of all parties joined forces to demand that industrial heritage sites that helped shape the country …
Bat Habitats Regulation Bill
The Bat Habitats Regulation Bill, a Private Members’ Bill, has had its Second Reading in the House of Lords. During second reading of the Bill on 27 April, a wide-ranging discussion took place on issues including the conservation of churches and historic buildings, the vicinity of bat habitats to …
#HeritageChat – ‘What’s over the digital horizon for heritage?’
April’s #HeritageChat was held on a digital theme. It explored the same question that was used for the Heritage 2020 Foresight workshop in March, ‘What’s over the digital horizon for heritage?’. Heritage Chatters discussed how digital technology can be used to stimulate engagement with new …
Heritage Alliance Q&A with the shadow Heritage Minister
Last week 30 Heritage Alliance members put their questions to Kevin Brennan MP, Shadow Minister for Arts and Heritage in a very lively and engaging session. We learned of Mr Brennan’s deep seated interest in heritage as a former history teacher and his work, while …
Solid wall insulation – consultation response
The Alliance submitted a short online response to the Government’s consultation on the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), a programme to deliver energy efficiency measures in homes. The consultation proposes, among other things, setting targets for insulating buildings of solid wall construction – the majority of …
Heritage Alliance paper on rural heritage and the 25 year environment plan
The Alliance has published a paper on next steps for the 25 Year Environment Plan which welcomes the fact that, for the first time, the plan approaches the natural and historic environments on an equal footing. In theory heritage is a funding priority, but in practice it …
First meeting of the Heritage Council – Michael Ellis statement
DCMS has asked us to share the statement below from Heritage Minister, Michael Ellis MP, on the Heritage Council which met for the first time today: ‘Last December DCMS published the government’s strategy for heritage and the historic environment, set out in the Heritage Statement. …
Rare Rubens portrait at risk of leaving the UK
Arts and heritage Minister Michael Ellis has placed a temporary export bar on a painting by Sir Peter Paul Rubens to provide an opportunity to keep it in the country. Head of an African Man Wearing a Turban is one of the few existing examples of artwork …
Culture& launches New Museum School
Culture& [Alliance member] has worked for the past 30 years to open up the arts and heritage sectors through work-based learning and public programmes. A flagship work-based learning programme has been the Skills for the Future schemes. Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund over the past …
AIM Launches new guidance to support museum trustees and boards
The Association of Independent Museums (AIM) [Alliance member] has launched a new series of free online guides to support Trustees and Boards of UK museums and heritage sites. The new guides are the result of work that AIM has carried out with Trustees and Boards …