DCMS ?100m Funding Black Hole

[Curator Kid]

Not specifically archaeology in itself, but it will affect archaeological projects:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/jul/22/dcms-culture-department-funding-deficit

Note: 'One source said: "It's hopeless management. Everyone will blame the DCMS for being hopeless, and they are fairly hopeless, so it's not unjustified'.

Of course, the Government could always consider plugging this funding black hole with the money they're going to make out of their shoddy partnership agreement with Odyssey Marine when they get on with looting the wreck of the HMS Sussex. [xx(]

[Oxbeast]

The MoD made that deal, probably on the understanding that they will be able to keep the money. I've no evidence for this allegation, it just seems logical. I'd rather see DCMS drop the ?50M extension to the Tate Modern, rather than replace the Stonehenge visitor centre, which surely must cost less than that.

[Windbag]

That's fitting- the gold from the HMS Sussex was originally intended to support an ally of Britain's in a war against France in 1694. Now it turns out that the payout might end up paying for an (equally pointless) war in 2009.