HC Deb 06 February 1986 vol 91 cc424-5
9. Mr. John Mark Taylor

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information is collected by his Ministry about the number of sites of special scientific interest which have been damaged by agricultural activies over the past 12 months.

Mrs. Fenner

Information on damage to SSSIs is collected by the Nature Conservancy Council and published in its annual report.

Mr. Taylor

In thanking my hon. Friend for her reply, may I ask whether she thinks the agricultural community is careful enough with scientific sites and, for that matter, with ancient monuments?

Mrs. Fenner

Yes, indeed. Government policy on conservation is founded on the voluntary approach. Generally speaking this works very well with the majority of farmers, who are very conservation conscious. The instances of damage to SSSIs should not be allowed to disguise the fact that most biological SSSIs are receiving protection by the good management of the farmers. It is the farmers, indeed, who are providing this.

Mr. Hardy

Is the Minister aware that only a few months ago her right hon. Friend appeared to become the champion of British conservation? Is she now telling us that the Ministry of Agriculture does not know how much damage has been done to sites of special scientific interest for agricultural purposes?

Mrs. Fenner

Yes, we do know—

Mr. Hardy

Why not tell us?

Mrs. Fenner

My hon. Friend asked whether we kept the figures. I pointed out what is accurate, that the Nature Conservancy Council keeps the figures, but, of course, we have read the report. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman can be reassured by the fact that the figures produced in the report were for a period before the Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1985, which seeks to close that loophole, came into operation. I think that we should bear in mind that the figures produced by the NCC show that there were only eight cases of serious damage caused by agricultural activities.

Sir Hector Monro

Does my hon. Friend agree that the measures announced by her right hon. Friend the Minister during the past year, and those available through the Nature Conservancy Council and the Countryside Commission, provide every opportunity to enhance the countryside and the habitat, and that it is high time the anti-farming lobby stopped bashing the countryside?

Mrs. Fenner

I would add to my hon. Friend's remarks that recently we introduced a clause into the Agriculture Bill in Committee, which was generally welcomed and which imposes a general duty on Ministers to seek to achieve a reasonable balance between the needs of agriculture and those of the environment. I trust that that will further expand and improve the position.

Mr. Haynes

Is the Minister aware that a farmer in my constituency wants to work his land, but the Ministry will not let him? Apparently weeds of scientific value are growing there, but he wants to earn his living. He must sit in the cottage and watch the weeds grow all day. What will the Minister do about that stupid position?

Mrs. Fenner

I am aware that there are certain plants of inestimable value, including some weeds. If the hon. Gentleman will write to me, I shall look into the matter.