This document establishes the legal framework for the designation and protection of specific maritime wreck sites within the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. The order serves as a formal legislative instrument issued by the British government to regulate access to and interference with underwater cultural heritage sites. It provides the statutory basis for restricting activities that could damage or disturb historically significant shipwrecks.

Legal professionals and maritime historians utilize this document as a primary source for understanding the regulatory history of underwater site protection in the United Kingdom. It is recognized as a technical administrative record rather than a narrative text.