§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the total budget of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee for 1998–99; and what was the total budget for 1997–98. [48657]
§ Angela EagleThe total budget for the JNCC in 1998–99 is £871,000; in 1997–98 it was £4,317,000.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what additional resources(a) have been and (b) will be made available to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in order to fulfil its responsibilities with respect to advising the Secretary of State on applications for exploration and production licences following the implementation of the Offshore Petroleum Production and Pipelines (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1998. [48656]
§ Angela EagleNo additional resources have been made available to the JNCC to fulfil these responsibilities.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's budget is derived from voluntary contributions from the oil and gas industry; and what restrictions are associated with the use of such funds. [48658]
§ Angela EagleThe oil and gas industry will voluntarily contribute 9.5 per cent. to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's total budget in 1998–99. These funds are exclusively dedicated to research and survey offshore, including around the Falkland and Faroe Islands.