§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
On how many occasions the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) objected to the drainage and 394WA ploughing of grazing marsh within the Swale SSSI (Kent) since it was first notified; on how many occasions the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) refused grant aid because of any objections raised by the NCC; and whether the NCC was consulted by MAFF on each occasion a drainage application was made by an owner or occupier of land within the Swale SSSI.
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Ferrers)I am advised that areas bordering the Swale Channel were notified as sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) in 1951. The size of the SSSI was greatly extended in 1968 and a further addition made in 1981. I understand that the SSSI has still to be notified under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Prior to 1980 the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) was consulted before prior approval was given to proposals, but we have no readily accessible record of the outcome of those pre-1980 consultations.
Since October 1980, when the current schemes were introduced, it has been a requirement that farmers wishing to carry out and claim grant on work on, inter alia, SSSIs must notify and clear their proposals with the NCC before starting work.
Under these new arrangements there have been two cases. In the first, notification to the Nature Conservancy Council of intention to drain led to the offer of a management agreement on which negotiations are still proceeding. In the second, ditching work was carried out without grant aid prior to 1980 and grant has now been claimed for under-draining the area. The NCC's views are still awaited.
§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
How extensive the grazing marsh within the Swale SSSI (Kent) was: (a) when it was first notified and (b) when the boundaries were revised in 1981; and what area of grazing marsh remained at 1st January 1983, or the most convenient recent date.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleWhen the Swale SSSI was first notified in 1968 the area of grazing marsh was 7,280 acres. No figures are available for 1981, but in 1979 there were approximately 9,000 acres of grazing marsh. On 1 January 1983 there were approximately 6,500 acres of grazing marsh in the SSSI.