HC Deb 20 November 2003 vol 413 cc1240-1W
Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what condition each site of special scientific interest (SSSI) was in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area; and what the total land area of SSSIs was in each category(a) in England and (b) broken down by local authority area. [139202]

Mr. Bradshaw

There are 4,112 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England, covering over one million hectares. English Nature has been assessing the condition of SSSIs against rigorous and consistent standards, since 1997. It takes six years to complete fully the assessment programme across the whole of England, and although individual sites may be assessed more than once over this period, it is impossible to assess each site each year. The first full assessment programme was completed in March 2003, and showed that 598,000 hectares of SSSI land (56.9 per cent. of the total) was either in favourable condition or clearly on course to achieve it, on the basis of the latest information available at that time. English Nature will publish a report giving the full results of this programme next month. Full details of all the individual SSSIs, and their condition, will be available on English Nature's website early in the new year.

Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new areas of sites of special scientific interest she plans to designate in the next(a) two and (b) five years; where they are; whether each is (i) a new site and (ii) an extension of an existing site; what the size is of each new site and extension; and what the characteristics of each site are. [139203]

Mr. Bradshaw

Sites of Special Scientific Interest are notified not by the Secretary of State but by English Nature. This is done on a site by site basis and there is no forward programme of notifications over 2 or 5 years.

Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which sites of special scientific interest are under threat from(a) damage to their ecological status, (b) a reduction in size and (c) disappearance over the next (i) two and (ii) five years, what the source of the threat is in each case; what percentage of SSSIs are under threat; and if she will make a statement. [139204]

Mr. Bradshaw

Information on potential threats to Sites of Special Scientific Interest is not recorded. However, the actual causes of adverse condition are recorded by English Nature. This information will be presented in the report on SSSI condition which will be published in December, and will be made available for individual SSSIs on the English Nature website early in 2004.