§ Lord MELCHETTasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Bill they will introduce this session " to strengthen the protection afforded to wildlife and their habitats and to embrace our international obligations " (col. 1102, 20th June 1979) will, among other matters:
- (i) implement those recommendations of the Strutt Report (Agriculture and the Countryside, May 1978) that require legislation;
- (ii) implement those recommendations of the Porchester Report (A Study of Exmoor, November 1977) that require legislation;
- (iii) implement those recommendations of the Sandford Report (Report of the National Park Policies Review Committee, November 1973) that require legislation;
- (iv) strengthen the protection afforded to Sites of Special Scientific Interest and, in particular, introduce provisions to prevent a repetition of the recent attempt to develop that part of the Ribble estuary subsequently bought by the Nature Conservancy Council; and
2146 - (v) strengthen the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act 1975 in the ways proposed by the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants (Amendment) Bill, read a first time in the House on 17th May 1979.
And:
Which of this country's international obligations they intend to meet in the Bill that they will introduce this Session " to strengthen the protection afforded to wildlife and their habitats and to embrace our international obligations " (col. 1102, 20th June 1979).
§ Lord BELLWINI regret that I am not yet able to make a definitive statement. I can, however, assure the noble Lord that an announcement will be made in due course and that the proposed legislation will,inter alio, meet obligations arising from EEC Directive 79/409 on the Conservation of Wild Birds.