A statue of suffragist leader Millicent Fawcett has been unveiled in Parliament Square. Turner Prize-winning artist Gillian Wearing OBE created the statue. It is funded through the Government’s £5 million Centenary Fund and is the first monument of a woman, and the first created by a woman, …
Have you saved a historic building?
The Historic England Angel Awards celebrate the efforts of people taking action to champion their local heritage. If you have saved or protected a historic place, you could qualify for an award. Applications are now being accepted for the 2018 awards and individuals and groups …
Focus on insider fraud: research report
This report outlines findings from a Charity Commission study into how insider fraud is affecting charities. Insider fraud is fraud committed by somebody within the charity such as a trustee, employee or volunteer. Examples of insider fraud include financial and accounting fraud, unauthorised payments to individuals, …
Export of Objects of Cultural Interest Report 2016/17
The 63rd annual report on the Export of Objects of Cultural Interest by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. Between 1 May 2016 and 30 April 2017, 22 cases were considered by the Reviewing Committee. 15 were deferred …
MPs debate new legislation to bring long-term empty homes back into use
The Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Bill which will allow councils to charge double the rate of Council Tax on homes left empty for years has been debated in Parliament. Local authorities can currently levy a 50% premium. Housing Minister Dominic Raab …
‘Government lacks clear plan to meet research investment target’
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 …