National Heritage Act

• The National Heritage Act 2005

The National Heritage Acts comprise four acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that aimed to alter the way in which Britain's national heritage assets are managed and protected.

National Heritage Act 1980
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to establish a National Heritage Memorial Fund for providing financial assistance for the acquisition, maintenance and preservation of land, buildings and objects of outstanding historic and other interest; to make new provision in relation to the arrangements for accepting property in satisfaction of capital transfer tax and estate duty; to provide for payments out of public funds in respect of the loss of or damage to objects loaned to or displayed in local museums and other institutions; and for purposes connected with those matters.
Citation	1980 c. 17
Dates
Royal assent	31 March 1980
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the National Heritage Act 1980 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The National Heritage Act 1980 (c. 17) established the National Heritage Memorial Fund, abolished the National Land Fund, made provision for property to be accepted in satisfaction of taxation and provided for indemnities for objects on loan from museums and libraries. One of the primary drivers for the Act was the public controversy relating to the refusal of the Callaghan government to accept an offer of Mentmore Towers and its contents in lieu of inheritance tax.^[1]

National Heritage Act 1983
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to establish Boards of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, the Armouries and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to transfer property to them and confer functions on them, to make provision in relation to government grants to, and employment by, armed forces museums, to establish a Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, to confer functions on the Commission, to dissolve the Historic Buildings Council for England and the Ancient Monuments Board for England, to amend certain enactments relating to the heritage and for connected purposes.
Citation	1983 c. 47
Dates
Royal assent	13 May 1983
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the National Heritage Act 1983 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The National Heritage Act 1983 established the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, the Armouries and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as non-departmental public bodies to be governed by boards of trustees.

Section 30 of the act made provision for the designation and funding of the Armed Forces Museums.

Prior to 1982, other British ancient or historical monuments and buildings had been protected through the Department of the Environment. This was felt by the ruling Conservative government to be lacking in public respect and to be excessively expensive. The 1983 Act created the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission (HBMC), another non-departmental public body, to be given the a broad remit of managing the historic built environment of England. After the passing of the act, the HBMC was given the shorter working name of English Heritage, by which it was commonly known until 2015. After 2015, the body was divided into two parts, with the Commission being renamed Historic England. English Heritage remained as a charitable organisation, looking after the national heritage collection - including places like Audley End, Kenwood House, and many others.^[2]

National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to transfer responsibility for the Royal Scottish Museum and the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland to a new Board of Trustees of the National Museums of Scotland, to establish a Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, to make provision as to the status, functions and powers of the new Boards, and as to the property to be held by them, to make further provision as to the Boards of Trustees of the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland, to confer on the Secretary of State power to make grants for cultural and scientific purposes, to amend the Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937 and the Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953 and for connected purposes.
Citation	1985 c.16
Dates
Royal assent	4 April 1985
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985 followed the National Galleries of Scotland Act 1906 and established boards of trustees responsible for the Royal Scottish Museum, The National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. It made more provision for the boards of trustees for National Galleries of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland.

National Heritage Act 1997
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to extend the powers of the Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund.
Citation	1997 c. 14
Dates
Royal assent	27 February 1997
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the National Heritage Act 1997 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The National Heritage Act 1997 (c. 14) amended the 1980 act by extending the scope of the National Heritage Memorial Fund to include

things of any kind which are of scenic, historic, archaeological, aesthetic, architectural, engineering, artistic or scientific interest, including animals and plants which are of zoological or botanical interest.

It also modified the 1983 act, inserting section 31A to make specific provision for preservation of the Royal Naval College site.

National Heritage Act 2002
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make further provision in relation to the functions of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England; and for connected purposes.
Citation	2002 c. 14
Dates
Royal assent	1 May 2002
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the National Heritage Act 2002 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The 2002 Act extended the powers of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission to encompass underwater archaeology within the territorial waters of the United Kingdom.

• Listed Building
• Scheduled Monument
• National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
• Protection of Wrecks Act 1973

• National Heritage Act 1980
• National Heritage Act 1983
• National Heritage Act 1997
• National Heritage Act 2002