Areas of Special Scientific Interest

HC Deb 03 March 2003 vol 400 c825W

Mr. Beggs

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which areas of special scientific interest in Northern Ireland are recognised by the European Union. [99354]

Angela Smith

In my response to PQ 438, I listed the sites in Northern Ireland classified under the Birds Directive and proposed for designation under the Habitats Directive. These sites have also been declared as Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) under the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order (1985), with the exception of those sites, or parts thereof, which are subtidal. A full list of ASSIs is published on the website of the Environment and Heritage Service—www.nics.gov.uk/ehs. As ASSIs are declared under domestic legislation, there is therefore no provision for their recognition by the European Union.