§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is his policy to direct the Nature Conservancy Council to sell off its holdings in the three national nature reserves at Whitford, Gower Coast and Oxwich.
§ Mr. MoynihanI have asked the Nature Conservancy Council to consider whether there is greater scope for national nature reserves to be held in private ownership under conservation safeguards. The council's advice is expected later this year. The council does not own the reserves at Whiteford or Gower Coast, and owns only part of the reserve at Oxwich.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in theOfficial Report a list of each national nature reserve in (a) Wales, (b) England and (c) Scotland, indicating for each reserve its total area and the proportion (i) owned by private landowners, (ii) owned by the Nature Conservancy Council and (iii) owned by other public bodies.
§ Mr. MoynihanSome of this information is available in the NCC's published annual report, though not in this precise form. It will take a little time to produce the full information requested, but I will do this as soon as possible.