§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will place in the Library a copy of the letter that the Earl Ferrers sent to the Chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) that arrived on 19th November, the date of the NCC's Council meeting to decide on the notification of the West Sedgemoor SSSI, and whether they will state on how many previous occasions Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Ministers have written letters to the Chairman of the NCC in an attempt to influence the decisions reached by the NCC's Council on the notification or protection of SSSIs.
Earl FerrersI have frequent correspondence with the Chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council which it is not my practice to make public. However, I shall send the noble Lord a copy of the letter.