House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee Maritime Heritage and Historic Ships Fourth Report of Session 2004–05 Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 8 March 2005 HC 296 Published on 17 March 2005 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £14.00 The Culture, Media and Sport Committee The Culture, Media and Sport Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its associated public bodies. Current membership Sir Gerald Kaufman MP (Labour, Manchester Gorton) (Chairman) Mr Chris Bryant MP (Labour, Rhondda) Mr Frank Doran MP (Labour, Aberdeen Central) Michael Fabricant MP (Conservative, Lichfield) Mr Adrian Flook MP (Conservative, Taunton) Mr Nick Hawkins MP (Conservative, Surrey Heath) Alan Keen MP (Labour, Feltham and Heston) Rosemary McKenna MP (Labour, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) Ms Debra Shipley MP (Labour, Stourbridge) John Thurso MP (Liberal Democrat, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) Derek Wyatt MP (Labour, Sittingbourne and Sheppey) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/culture__media_and_sport. cfm Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Fergus Reid (Clerk), Ian Cameron (Second Clerk), Grahame Danby (Inquiry Manager), Anita Fuki (Committee Assistant) and Louise Thomas (Secretary), with support from Jonathan Coe (Office Support) and Luke Robinson (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 6188; fax 020 7219 2031; the Committee’s email address is [email protected] Maritime Heritage and Historic Ships 1 Contents Report Page 1 Introduction 3 2 Background and context 4 3 Government policy 6 4 The National Historic Ships Unit 8 5 Funding 10 6 Tourism and Regeneration 12 7 Skills 13 Conclusions and recommendations 14 Formal Minutes 17 Witnesses 18 List of written evidence 19 Reports from the Committee since 2001 20 Maritime Heritage and Historic Ships 3 1 Introduction 1. Great Britain owes a great deal to its naval history. Mariners, cartographers, sailors, shipbuilders, naval architects and tacticians all helped shape the nation’s political, military and economic fortunes which, in turn, helped forge the country’s national identity. The innovations of the British shipbuilding industry, through Chatham to Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow—alongside the invention of reliable navigational techniques—made trade possible with the West Indies, America, Africa, Australasia and India. This played a significant role in establishing Britain as a world power. Renowned explorers have navigated the oceans pushing back the boundaries of knowledge and preserving treasures and artefacts that might otherwise have been lost. Many crucial conflicts, too, were fought and won on the high seas; from the battles of the Nile and Trafalgar to the combined efforts of the Royal and Merchant navies in maintaining the flow of vital convoys during both World Wars. In short the nation’s maritime heritage matters. 2. We agreed to establish a sub-committee, on 21 December 2004, to inquire into the nation’s maritime heritage and historic vessels. This work followed an inquiry, in 1998, by our predecessor Committee into the preservation of historic ships and, in particular, the case for saving HMS Cavalier.1 A second Report, in 1999, followed up on developments since the initial inquiry.2 The key point coming out of this earlier body of work was that, while the intervention of a select committee was instrumental in saving an important ship, this approach was no substitute for an effective strategy with identifiable priorities and appropriate funding commensurate with the importance that the Government claimed to attach to the nation’s historic ships. 3. The impetus behind this Report is that the nation’s maritime heritage has not received the same attention—or proportionate resources—from official agencies as buildings, monuments or other structures that make up Britain’s heritage on land. In its submission, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) stated that: “there are probably between 2,000 and 4,000 historic ships and boats in the UK…They testify to the huge importance of the sea, and of seagoing activity, in the nation’s history, and to the importance of trade on our rivers and canals over many centuries and particularly during the period of industrialisation. Apart from their historical importance, many ships and boats are artefacts of great beauty and superb craftsmanship. The fact that ships and boats occupy a special place in the cultural consciousness of the UK is demonstrated by the extent of the public interest in them, and by the numbers of vessels preserved by private effort and made accessible to the public.3 The National Historic Ships Committee—a privately-run organisation whose aim is to preserve historic ships—stated that: “historic ships are a vital part of the UK’s historic environment. They have a unique place in this environment and have a pivotal role in the interpretation and presentation of the UK’s maritime history.”4 We agree with these sentiments. 1 Culture, Media and Sport Committee Third Report Session 1997-98 HC 561 2 Culture, Media and Sport Committee Second Report Session 1998-99 HC 196 3 Ev 23 4 Ev 13 4 Maritime Heritage and Historic Ships 4. This inquiry coincides with SeaBritain 2005: a year-long festival of events aimed at exploring every aspect of the UK’s rich maritime heritage.5 The SeaBritain 2005 team is based in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and is primarily funded by the museum and VisitBritain – the tourism authority for Britain.6 In addition, this year marks the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson. There seemed no more apposite a time than this to review the protection of Britain’s maritime heritage, in the form of the surviving historic fleet. 5. The inquiry’s remit was to: “examine the strategy, administration and resources aimed at implementing the Government’s stated policy of preserving the best of maritime heritage.” In particular, we have concentrated our inquiries on above-water, historic vessels and consideration of them as museums and/or exhibits rather than as archaeological sites. We were grateful for all the contributions we received, from national maritime organisations to individual experts and ships campaigners. The written memoranda we received are published in an accompanying volume to this Report. 6. We held one oral evidence session on Wednesday 2 February 2005 taking evidence from: Mr Sid Anning, ship campaigner and representative of the Maritime Steam Restoration Trust; Rear Admiral John Hervey CB OBE, President of HMS Cavalier Association; Mr Richard Doughty, Chief Executive of the Cutty Sark Trust; Ms Carole Souter, Director of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF); Captain John Woodman and Mr John Paton of the National Historic Ships Committee (NHSC); Mr Tim Parr, a member of the board of NHSC and a member of the Ships Committee of the Maritime Trust; Rt Hon Lord McIntosh of Haringey, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); and Mr Richard Hartman, Head of Museums Sponsor Unit, DCMS. 7. That same afternoon, the Sub-committee visited Cutty Sark in Greenwich. We were grateful for the hospitality extended to us and for all the efforts made by Mr Doughty in facilitating our visit. 2 Background and context 8. DCMS conceded in its written submission that the plight of maritime heritage and ship preservation has been an issue for a number of years.7 Historic vessels have rarely been funded directly by Government and, in 1989, the English Tourist Board withdrew support.8 In 1992, English Heritage withdrew from grant-aid for the sector following a review of its strategies and priorities.9 In summary, the historic fleet has been without specific official support for well over 10 years. This appears to have created a legacy of neglect that it will be hard to counter. 5 www.seabritain2005.com and Ev 26 6 Ibid 7 Ev 23 8 Ibid 9 Ibid Maritime Heritage and Historic Ships 5 9. Under current arrangements, the principal source of public funding for the preservation of historic ships is the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)10 whose aim is: “to conserve and enhance the UK’s diverse heritage; to encourage more people to be involved in and make decisions about their heritage; and to ensure that everyone can learn about, have access to, and enjoy their heritage.”11 In its evidence HLF stated, in the context of maritime heritage, that: “since 1994, HLF has awarded £38.6 million to 68 projects relating to 44 individual vessels.”12 10. The Government’s funding for historic ships is only channelled indirectly via grant-in- aid to museums that have historically significant vessels within their collections.13 Other significant sources of funding include private owners, private trusts