The Earl of Clancarty asked whether the Government intended to ratify the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Lord Ashton of Hyde responded that ‘It is necessary to carefully prioritise resources towards those Conventions that will have the most impact on the safeguarding of our heritage, such as recent ratification of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property. However, the Government fully recognises the contribution that the UK’s oral traditions, social practices and festive events make to the country’s cultural fabric, and continues to encourage communities to celebrate these practices and to continue them for future generations’.