§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has seen the Statement of Policies published today by the Nature Conservancy Council; and if he is prepared to give it his support.
§ Mr. John SilkinYes. My right hon. Friends and I have read this statement with great interest and we commend it to all who have concern for the conservation of our natural heritage.
The Nature Conservancy Council was established as a new, independent body almost exactly a year ago. It is the Government's statutory adviser on all nature conservation matters and it has wide-ranging responsibilities for disseminating information and advice, commissioning research and managing the series of national nature reserves.
We believe the council's statement shows that it has made a good start in establishing its policies and priorities and it has our full support in its most valuable work.