§ Mrs. OrganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans for environmental protection in the Forest of Dean.[589]
§ Ms Angela EagleVarious protective measures already apply within the Forest of Dean. The Wye Valley is already designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural 87W Beauty. The Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat Sites, and Wye Valley Woodlands are candidate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), and the River Wye is a possible Special Area of Conservation. Once adopted by the European Commission the SACs will received full protection under the EC Habitats Directive. These internationally important sites are also already designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs); as such, they form part of a larger network of SSSIs which receive additional consideration within the planning control system. English Nature, the Government's scientific advisors, have a duty to continue to identify further sites which meet the SSSI criteria.