1.  The Museums & Galleries Commission (MGC) is the national advisory body which exists to safeguard and promote the United Kingdom's 2,500 museums and galleries.

  2.  The MGC also attaches great importance to its role in advising Government and others on a wide range of matters relating to museums and their well-being.

  3.  The MGC is committed to preserving collections within museums for the enjoyment and learning of today's citizens as well as future generations.

  4.  To this end, the MGC has become increasingly concerned over the impact of disasters (both natural and man-made) that have grown in number and severity in recent years. While its priority is the loss of life, it is also very concerned at the loss to the UK's cultural heritage suffered by numerous museums, galleries and other historic buildings when natural disasters have struck over the last 10 years (Note 1).

RELATIONS WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY

  5.  The MGC is keen to develop good working relations with The Environment Agency whose central role in recording and co-ordinating responses by others to natural disasters should be strengthened and enhanced.

  6.  The MGC considers that there is scope for The Environment Agency to recognise that the loss of cultural heritage is an important social, economic and cultural issue because it strikes at the heart of our cultural identity and its loss diminishes the quality of life of UK citizens.

  7.  The Environment Agency should recognise the unique and irreplaceable nature of much cultural property which can be damaged or destroyed. This is not being adequately addressed at the moment.

  8.  The Environment Agency is singularly placed with its expertise, to complement the MGC's efforts to create a co-ordinated response among all heritage agencies, since disasters do not only damage or destroy buildings, but also the many and varied contents of museums, galleries, libraries, archives, churches and historic buildings.

  9.  The expertise of The Environment Agency coupled with the specialist knowledge and expertise of the MGC (or its successor body, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council) would ensure that disasters which affect cultural heritage are consistently recorded and that an appropriate response is co-ordinated in order to minimise loss.

  10.  The opportunity exists to take a lead role in international responses to disasters, linked to the International Committee of the Blue Shield (Note 2) and to the work of other environment agencies at national and international level.

MEASURES TO REDUCE LOSS TO THE HERITAGE

  11.  The creation of a UK-wide network of expertise in disaster preparedness, mitigation and salvage of cultural heritage, with the participation of The Environment Agency.

  12.  The creation of partnerships between such organisations as the MGC (or its successor body, MLAC) and The Environment Agency for the development of protocols and standards for cultural heritage protection before, during and after disasters, and for incident recording.

  13.  The dissemination of information to those charged with the protection of cultural heritage so that in the immediate aftermath of a disaster an appropriate response is made to reduce loss.

Note 1:

Summary of Flooding incidents by cause in Museums (1998-1998)	Number of incidents	Percentage of total
River or sea defences breached	5	9
Building defects	26	49
Vandalism, terrorism, fire etc.	9	17
Storm drains unable to cope with heavy rains	13	25
Total	53	100

   (Source: MGC unpublished data)

Note 2:

  The International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) is made up of four non-governmental organisations: the International Council on Archives (ICA), the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). In 1998, ICBS adopted the Radenci Declaration on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Emergencies and Exceptional Situations, suggesting that strategies be developed to improve prevention, emergency plans, intervention and recovery measures, emphasising the importance of training personnel.