The Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers (ALGAO) was originally formed in 1996 (through merger of the Association of County Archaeological Officers and Council of District Archaeological Officers) to represent all archaeologists working for local authorities and national parks. In June 2006 ALGAO formally merged with ARIA to become a fully UK-wide organization, ALGAO: UK, with national organizations ALGAO: Cymru, ALGAO: Scotland and ALGAO: England, and, in England, a network of regional committees coincident with Government regions. Member local authorities are represented by the senior professional archaeologist whose primary responsibility is to advise that authority, principally through the planning process, on conservation and management of the archaeological resource within the boundaries of that authority, and who has been nominated by that authority to represent it.