UNESCO World Heritage Sites
(Glasgow
North West) (SNP)
5. What steps the Government are taking to protect UNESCO World
Heritage Sites throughout the world. [900204]
(Paisley
and Renfrewshire North) (SNP)
16. What steps the Government are taking to protect UNESCO World
Heritage Sites throughout the world. [900215]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture,
Media and Sport ()
There are over 1,000 UNESCO World Heritage Sites globally. The UK
is the proud home to 32, six of which are in Scotland. The
Government take their responsibilities under the world heritage
convention very seriously. In recent years, we have sadly seen
some of the world’s great cultural treasures destroyed by
conflict or natural disasters. We are working around the world to
help to protect world heritage sites.
Of course we are concerned about the destruction of cultural
sites due to conflict. Any attack on one of these sites is an
attack on our shared global history, but when we have President
Trump tweeting one thing and his advisers saying the opposite,
can we really trust the assurances that these sites will not be
targeted in conflict?
The targeting of cultural sites contravenes several international
conventions to which the United States is a party, including the
world heritage convention and the 1954 Hague convention. The
Foreign Secretary was very clear that we expect those conventions
to be adhered to.
The lack of direct condemnation of Donald Trump’s threats by
either the Prime Minister or the Foreign Secretary was actually
pretty shameful. Putting to one side for just a moment the
Government’s desperate need for a US trade deal, will the
Minister do what her colleagues have failed to do and
unequivocally condemn the White House and President Trump for his
reckless and provocative threats?
I think that my previous answer was very clear. The Foreign
Secretary made it clear that he expected the conventions on world
heritage to be adhered to.
(Ochil and South Perthshire)
(SNP)
I am sure that we are all comforted to know that the Secretary of
State is watching us from the Gallery. Further to the questions
from my colleagues, the next time the Minister speaks with the
Secretary of State, who has been elevated to the Lords and so is
beyond the reach of elected Members down here, will she ask
whether she has had a firm guarantee from President Trump that he
has withdrawn his threat? It is not enough to condemn the threat;
has he withdrawn it and given that assurance?
This questioning from the SNP feels slightly repetitive. I think
that the United States can speak for itself on its policy towards
heritage sites. As I have said, and as the Foreign Secretary has
been very clear, we expect the international conventions to be
adhered to.
