HL Deb 18 July 1990 vol 521 cc855-6

2.49 p.m.

Baroness Nicol asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they intend to designate the Exe estuary as a special protection area under the EC directive on the conservation of wild birds.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Hesketh)

My Lords, I cannot forecast when the Exe estuary will be designated as a special protection area. As is the case with a number of sites currently being considered by the Government, officials are undertaking a wide range of essential consultations with other government departments to ensure that any apparent problems or conflicts are closely examined, together with the scientific evidence put forward.

Baroness Nicol

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that Answer, which is similar to the one which I was given by the noble Lord, Lord Reay, in April. Since the designation of the Exe estuary has not been objected to, can the noble Lord tell us what conflicts or problems in the inter-departmental consultations have made it impossible to declare designation three months after April?

Lord Hesketh

My Lords, I am unaware of any conflicts but I am aware that the consultations have not yet been completed, which is what I said in my original Answer.

Lore Williams of Elvel

My Lords, is it not the case that 188 sites have been designated or may be designated as special protection areas? Will we have to wait for the Government to get their act together and for the departments to consult on 188 occasions? Will the Minister do his best to speed up the process?

Lord Hesketh

Well, my Lords, the noble Lord has been very reserved. I believe that there are 218 sites to be precise. I remind the House that protection is already provided through SSSIs. The SSSI programme is now more than 90 per cent. complete and some 5,300 sites have already been designated.

Lord Williams of Elvel

My Lords, I am most grateful to the Minister for correcting my figures which came from a source other than the Government. Are we being told that all outside bodies have been consulted and are in agreement, that there are no objections and that it is just a question of government departments consulting with one another? Is that what the Minister is saying?

Lord Hesketh

My Lords, I was referring to the Exe estuary and not to the entire 218 sites, where I am sure at one point or another there may be some problems.

Baroness Nicol

My Lords, is the Minister aware that, although these sites are protected as SSSIs, the value of an international designation is that it allows formal consultation between other countries and an exchange of experience and expertise? That is important not only in terms of learning from other countries but in offering our expertise to them. Is it not, therefore, a matter of some urgency that we get on with this designation and indeed with all the others?

Lord Hesketh

My Lords, I am sure the noble Baroness is well aware that we have always felt that the primary defence was the SSSI. Over recent years a great deal of work has been done in order to achieve it. As the SSSI programme, for want of a better word, is completed, we shall be able to move faster on other fronts.

Baroness Strange

My Lords, will my noble friend consider the fact that human beings have probably 70 years to consider all these matters, whereas birds have considerably less time?

Lord Hesketh

My Lords, I hope very much that I have 70 years to consider SSSIs. In saying that, I fully appreciate my noble friend's point.