HC Deb 20 December 1989 vol 164 cc320-2W
Dr. Kim Howells

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the joint committee of successor bodies to the Nature Conservancy Council will have a duty to agree common standards for the selection, designation, management and monitoring of national nature reserves, sites of special scientific interest and other categories of land.

Mr. Alan W. Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the joint committee of successor bodies to the Nature Conservancy Council will have a duty to assemble and disseminate compatible statistics for nature conservation on a Great Britain or United Kingdom basis.

Mr. Hardy

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff in which disciplines he envisages will need to be allocated to support the work of the joint committee of successor bodies of the Nature Conservancy Council.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the joint committee of successor bodies to the Nature Conservancy Council will have a duty to agree common priorities and methodologies for research on nature conservation issues.

Mr. Home Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the joint committee of successor bodies to the Nature Conservancy Council will have management responsibility for ensuring the operation of agreed standards and programmes.

Mr. John Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the joint committee of successor bodies to the Nature Conservancy Council will have a duty to agree common criteria for the provision of management agreements, land purchase grants and grants for posts and projects, including those to voluntary conservation agencies operating throughout Britain.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

The main duties and responsibilities of the joint committee were set out in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) on 23 November(Official Report, cols 17–18). Initial proposals for the detailed programme of work to be overseen by the Committee, and the resources required to carry it out, will be drawn up in consultation with the Nature Conservancy Council and other relevant bodies. The Government will also wish to consider any recommendations of the Select Committee on Science and Technology in another place, which is currently considering future arrangements for the NCC's science base.

Mr. Allan Roberts

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the duty of the joint committee of successor bodies to the Nature Conservancy Council to provide advice on nature conservation matters will be based on(a) nature conservation considerations, (b) recreation, (c) access and (d) landscape considerations.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells). The responsibilities which the successor bodies will be required to remit to the joint committee for consideration will relate to nature conservation.

Mrs. Ann Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the joint committee of successor bodies to the Nature Conservancy Council will have a duty to agree common procedures and timetables for the implementation of European Community and international agreements and conventions.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

Implementation of European Community and international agreements and conventions is, and will remain, primarily a matter for Government.

Mr. Martlew

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what mechanisms the proposed joint committee of successor bodies to the Nature Conservancy Council will employ to ensure that its decisions are reflected by all the individual bodies; and whether it will have any authority over them.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells). The individual country bodies will be bound by a statutory requirement to deal with certain matters (to be specified in legislation) through the joint committee.

Mr. Lofthouse

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how such disagreements will be resolved and by whom, in the event of disagreement among individual bodies on the joint committee of successor bodies to the Nature Conservancy Council.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

The successor bodies will have a statutory duty to agree the advice to be tendered or the action to be taken on the matters within the remit of the joint committee. Reserve provisions will be included in the legislation to be brought before the House shortly to enable the Secretary of State to direct that matters within the remit of the joint committee should be dealt with by one or more of the country bodies. It is expected that such directions will be needed on only very rare occasions.

Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the joint committee of successor bodies to the Nature Conservancy Council will have sole responsibility for providing advice at Great Britain level on(a) ecological issues, (b) agricultural and forestry issues, (c) air and waterborne pollution, (d) marine and migratory species conservation, (e) international representation and (f) education and publicity.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

The Government draw on many sources of advice on these issues and will continue to do so, but the joint committee may wish to consider the relationship between these matters and nature conservation in a Great Britain context.