§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many visits the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's scientific adviser on nature conservation, Dr. Way, has made to West Sedgemoor in Somerset, what was the length of each visit, what ornithological surveys Dr. Way has carried out on West Sedgemoor. what other surveys he has carried out on West Sedgemoor and whether they agree that a few brief visits at one time of year to this area by a scientist with botanical expertise would not provide any reputable organisation with sufficient grounds for makings a decision about the scientific importance of the area; and
Whether they will confirm that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food told the Nature Conservancy Council that only 910 acres of the 1162WA 2,500 acres of the West Sedgemoor SSSI should be notified as an SSSI, whether this represented the Government's view, and on what evidence this view was based.
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Ferrers)Following the Nature Conservancy Council's notification to the Ministry of its proposal to notify an SSSI on West Sedgemoor and its chairman's subsequent request for assistance from the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service in the consideration of the boundaries of the proposed SSSI, the ADAS ecology specialist, Dr. Way, paid three separate visits to West Sedgemoor. He inspected every field within the proposed site and reviewed the available published information on its scientific interest. This was a considerable achievement in the time available.
Subsequently, my department advised the NCC that on the evidence available the SSSI should be restricted to an area of about 910 acres in the central part of the Moor.
§ Lord Melchettasked Her majesty's Government:
Whether they will confirm that Ministers from the Department of the Environment and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have held meetings with the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) on 8th, 9th and 14th December to discuss the NCC's decisions to notify 2,500 acres of West Sedgemoor as an SSSI, and what was the purpose of these meetings.
§ The Earl of AvonIn view of the great importance that Ministers attach to the effective working of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, a number of meetings have recently been held with the NCC. At an informal meeting with ten members of the Council on 14th December my center honourable friend the Secretary of State offered to take part at an early date in a meeting at West Sedgemoor with farmers representatives, members of another place and the NCC in an endeavour to clear misunderstandings and improve relationships in the area.
§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they agree with the Nature Conservancy Council's decision to notify 2,500 acres of West Sedgemoor as an SSSI; and
Whether they will confirm that the Nature Conservancy Council received scientific advice to the effect that the whole of the 2,500 acres of the proposed West Sedgemoor SSSI merited SSSI status on the available scientific evidence, that in addition the NCC have been advised by Treasury counsel that in such circumstances their statutory duty is to notify such sites as SSSI's, and that the one member of the NCC's Council who voted against the notification of the whole area, and others, including Government Ministers who have subsequently tried to persuade the NCC to alter its decision, are in effect attempting to make the NCC break the law.
§ The Earl of AvonThe Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) reached their decision on the basis of scientific 1163WA evidence, as required by the Act. I understand from the NCC that they did indeed receive the advice referred to. The NCC now intend to carry out their statutory duty to notify the site. There have been no attempts by Government Ministers to persuade the NCC to alter their decision since it was made on 17th November 1982.