§ Mr.Kenneth Carlisleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many management agreements have been concluded by local authorities under section 39 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act for the purposes of nature conservation; and which local authorities have entered into such agreements;
(2) what has been the cost of each agreement concluded by local authorities under section 39 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act for the purpose of nature conservation.
§ Mr.WaldegraveDetailed information about agreements concluded under section 39 is generally not available, but in 1983–84 the Countryside Commission paid, or offered to pay, grant towards the cost of eight agreements of significance. All include an element of nature conservation. The authorities concerned were the Lake District special planning board, Dartmoor national park committee, the Broads authority, and Hampshire county council.
For reasons of confidentiality it would not be right to disclose the separate cost of each agreement. However in 1983–84 the total cost of six of the eight agreements amounted to £77,167. No payments were made during that year in respect of the two remaining agreements, but future annual payments are expected (taking both together) to be some £12,000.