ALSF money no longer spent on archaeology

[kevin wooldridge]

Thanks Brian for clarifying.....

[BillyPilgrim]

In case any one is interested, there have been a whole host of new questions asked about the ALSF in Parliament. They do not focus on archaeology, more on general questions relating to the cessation of the fund. It's certainly good to see MPs digging around the issue.

The future of the levy tax itself.

What assessment has been made of the contribution of the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund to the UK biodiversity target?

How much was spent through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund in each English region in the latest year for which figures are available?

How much was spent through the ALSF in each financial year since 2001-02; and what the forecast is of expenditure in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

What recent assessment has made of the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund; and if the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will make a statement.

This one includes the stunningly bad answer:

Overall, the evaluation [undertaken before the decision to close the fund] was positive in that the programme delivered against its objectives and did provide value for money...However, during the spending review, and against other departmental priorities, DEFRA concluded that the ASLF did not represent a core activity for the Department, and, therefore, funding could not continue beyond the current financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consultations her Department has conducted on the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund in the last 12 months?

There is also an article on theENDSreport website that takes a look at the closure of ALSF (free registration required):

The government has abolished, sotto voce, a fund which helped the aggregates industry toward sustainability, angering the industry and environment bodies...

...The cut will swell government coffers by perhaps ?20m a year, but will kill a respected scheme which has funded everything from research on reducing aggregates’ carbon footprint to improving biodiversity around quarries...

...Industry body Mineral Products Association (MPA) condemned the decision. Chief executive Nigel Jackson said ending the fund was “an enormous own goal for DEFRA and government, as it runs contrary to the key objectives of empowering local communities through the ‘localism’ concept and improving biodiversity and conservation...”

If you think this an issue worth fighting for I think it is definitely worth contacting your local MP to voice concerns (particularly if you live in an English constituency where aggregate extraction occurs). As the ALSF funded so much beyond archaeology it is easier to gain political support and traction than as an issue solely affecting archaeology. Who knows, if enough of us grumble perhaps we can make a difference?

[Jack]

Anyone interested in raising this issue (and issues on the localsim bill) should check out the (now national) digital democracy website

http://www.digitaldemocracy.org.uk/

I have already raised a proposal against the localism bill. If lots of people register and promote my proposal it will be sent onto MP's to make tham aware of just how we feel about it....and how many people feel this way.

'........a government should be scared of its people.'
V

[dirtpixie]

It has now been nearly six months since the ALSF was abolished (31 March 2011) and so it might be too early to ask this question.

But does anybody have any knowledge of projects that, had they been commissioned before the demise of the ALSF would have gone for this funding, but as were commissioned after the 31st March have sought alternative funding, such as the Conservation Enhancement Scheme (CES) as mentioned by chrysalis above?


I am at present asking the question "what alternatives to the ALSF are now available" to both DEFRA and EH and am awaiting a reply.