§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those management agreements concluded in Wales by local authorities, pursuant to the Wildlife and Countryside Act, in respect of countryside outside specially designated areas, listing in each case the cost of such schemes; and if he will make a statement on his policy towards the operation of the Act in Wales.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasInformation on managements agreements for non-designated areas is not available centrally. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was the first substantial piece of countryside legislation to be introduced in more than a decade and it addresses a wide range of difficult and contentious issues. Apart from defects in the provisions for notification of sites of special scientific interest, which we have acknowledged, the Act has proved well adapted to the78W situation in Wales and has been instrumental in developing co-operation between landowners, tenants and conservation bodies.