§ Mr. Morganasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether, before deciding whether or not to designate any part of the Clwydian Range as a site of special scientific interest, he will order the holding of a public inquiry to consider the views, in particular, of the local people who would be directly affected by such a designation.
§ Mr. Michael RobertsWe are not responsible for deciding on such designations. The Nature Conservancy Council has a duty under section 23 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 to notify local planning authorities when it is of the opinion that an area is of special scientific interest. Notification is a statement of fact which imposes no direct constraints on owners or occupiers, and there is no provision for a public inquiry. However, before the NCC takes 193W a formal decision it gives landowners, tenants, official bodies and other interested parties full opportunity to make their views known.