HMS Victory 1744 Project

"the British public will be outraged

and scandalised by the sleazy way the

Government have treated the last resting place
of HMS Victory and her crew.” Kevan Jones

Pipeline has a story rich in metaphor ('Victory 1744, Broadside at MOD Human Shield Vaizey' Pipeline January 30 2015) about a debate in the Houses of Parliament on the Ministry of Defence’s handling of the controversial HMS Victory 1744 Project that involves salvage of artefacts by Odyssey Marine Exploration and the Maritime Heritage Foundation. In the end, it was Heritage Minister Ed Vaizey who was in the thick of it. Kevan Jones "left him wallowing in the wreckage of the Government’s carefully crafted lines with their skilled evasions, misdirections and carefully crafted gaps".

Mr Vaizey attempted to lay a softly spoken smoke screen. Can’t say too much: Judicial Review pending; site is under threat, and it is all going to be accessioned [the Crown Property that is] National Museum of the Royal Navy will get the HMS Victory collection, [really? all of it?] Charities can seek funds Government’s can’t [Not if they are involved in taking cultural material from projects which break International cultural conventions they can’t].

The article sets out seven allegations and seven separate investigations into various aspects of the HMS Victory 1744 project including five in Parliament and Whitehall. Part of the background to the debate is discussed by Cahal Milmo ('HMS Victory recovery engulfed in controversy as Labour MP accuses key players of 'scam'...', Independent  02 February 2015).