§ Mr. Keyaked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what information he has as to how many Nature Conservancy Council field staff who are, or who have been, engaged in negotiating management agreements with owner-occupiers in respect of sites of special scientific interest, have had previous practical experience of productive land management or land economics; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what information he has on measures taken to train Nature Conservancy field officers in practical land management and land economics; and if he will make a statement.
(3) what qualifications are sought when recruiting field officers into the Nature Conservancy Council.
§ Mrs. RumboldI am advised by the Nature Conservancy Council that all its field staff are professionally qualified. Assistant regional officers responsible for day-to-day negotiation of management agreements must hold a degree in a science-related subject plus at least two-year post-graduate experience, preferably in a conservation related area. Regional land agents responsible for the substantive negotiation of management agreements are qualified chartered surveyors trained in practical land management and land economics.
In-house training for field staff includes courses in forestry, agriculture and valuations. In addition, they attend relevant external courses organised by professional bodies such as the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
188W
§ Mr. Keyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has made any assessment of the effect on rural employment of constraints placed on otherwise productive operations within sites of special scientific interest; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldNo overall assessment can be made easily. The management of such sites in the interests of nature conservation may involve more labour-intensive methods, for example, coppice woodlands or hay-meadows, but in some cases, for example, blanket bogs, less labour might possibly be required.
§ Mr. Keyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the Nature Conservancy Council's total annual expenditure is devoted to management agreements in respect of sites of special scientific interest in woodlands.
§ Mrs. RumboldFor the last completed financial year, the percentage was 1.6 per cent. (excluding staff costs and overheads).
§ Mr. Keyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the Nature Conservancy Council's total annual expenditure in each of the past three years is devoted to staff and staff support costs; what is the percentage spent on management agreements; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe information is:
1982–83 per cent. 1983–84 per cent. 1984–85 per cent. Staff and related costs 76 73.5 71.1 Payments under management agreements 2.8 3.5 7.7
§ Mr. Keyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many field officers have been employed by the Nature Conservancy Council in each of the past three years.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe information is:
Position at: Assistant regional officers Land agents 1 April 1984 82 15 1 April 1985 85 17 Currently in post 126 25