§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what instructions he has given to the Nature Conservancy Council in respect of purchasing land for nature reserves.
§ Mr. Ridley[holding answer 11 April 1989]: The Government's general policy is that land should be purchased by public bodies only where this is essential in order for the body concerned to perform its functions. I have made this clear to the Nature Conservancy Council on several occasions. The council's current policy is to purchase land for nature reserves only as a last resort. where sites of key conservation value cannot be protected by other methods (such as management agreements).