§ 2.39 p.m.
§ Baroness Nicol asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ What progress has been made in designating special protection areas and Ramsar sites in Scotland.
§ The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Lord Sanderson of Bowden)My Lords, I am happy to say that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has today designated a further eight sites. Four of those are special protection areas, one is a Ramsar site and three sites have dual designation. There is now a total of 18 special protection areas and 19 Ramsar sites in Scotland. Details of the new sites designated have been placed in the Library.
§ Baroness NicolMy Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that Answer which will be welcomed widely both here and in Scotland. However, can he tell me whether yesterday's reply from his noble friend in the Department of the Environment, which stated that planning authorities should ensure that special protection areas are treated as though they were already designated, applies to Scotland as well as to England? If so, can he say what is happening in the case of Lurcher's Gully? Is that being given special treatment?
§ Lord Sanderson of BowdenMy Lords, I can assure the noble Baroness that under the SPD Circular 1/1988 planning authorities in Scotland are required to ensure that potential sites are treated as if they had been designated. The subject of Lurcher's Gully is at present under active consideration in the Scottish Office and I cannot give the noble Baroness any further information.
§ Lord GisboroughMy Lords, will my noble friend help me by saying what a Ramsar site is? Has it anything to do with sheep?
§ Lord Sanderson of BowdenMy Lords, my noble friend is wrong. A Ramsar site has nothing to do with sheep. It is all to do with wetlands.
§ Lord TordoffMy Lords, will the Minister tell us whether Lurcher's Gully has anything to do with the Scottish national drink?
§ Lord Sanderson of BowdenNo, my Lords. Having been there in the middle of winter, I can assure the House that it has much to do with snow and nothing to do with whisky.
§ Lord Taylor of GryfeMy Lords, will the Minister confirm that Lurcher's Gully is an important development for skiing and tourism in general and that the interests of the local population should not be lost sight of in the event of any designation taking place?
§ Lord Sanderson of BowdenMy Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Taylor of Gryfe, will know, various views 575 have been expressed by all and sundry as to the importance of Lurcher's Gully. It would be wrong for me to say anything further at this stage. However, the noble Lord will know from the Scottish newspapers that the Government are giving the matter considerable thought. I have no doubt that at the appropriate time my right honourable friend will take into account not only what the noble Lord has said but what others have said.
Lord Campbell of CroyMy Lords, on the question of Ramsar sites, which are wetlands internationally arranged for the benefit of birds, will the Government do everything possible to help to keep confidential the site where the crane has this spring come to breed in the United Kingdom for the first time for many years? Does he agree that, whether that site is in Scotland or in another part of the United Kingdom, it is best that we should not know?
§ Lord Sanderson of BowdenMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that question and I am glad to tell him that I do not know.
§ Lord John-MackieMy Lords, if the sites are for the benefit of the public so that they can see the birds, can the Minister tell the House what is the sense of keeping the sites private?
§ Lord Sanderson of BowdenMy Lords, we are at cross-purposes. The sites announced by my right honourable friend today are made public and will be available for the general public to visit. They are important bird sites covering the whole of Scotland, and today we have taken a great step forward in that area.