§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what financial and manpower resources are available for Wildlife Conservation in England; and if he will express these figures per head of the population;
(2) what financial and manpower resources are available for Wildlife Conservation in Wales; and if he will express these figures per head of population;
(3) what financial and manpower resources are available for Wildlife Conservation in Scotland; and if he will express these figures per head of population.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe Government provide financial and manpower resources for Wildlife Conservation through a number of channels. The principal means of promoting Wildlife Conservation is through the Nature Conservancy Council, the Government's statutory adviser on all wildlife matters, which received a grant-in-aid of £12.7 million for the current financial year.
At 1 January 1984 there were 556 permanent staff in post at the Nature Conservancy Council. As a body with responsibilities covering the whole of Great Britain, the Nature Conservancy Council has a number of specialist groups and common services staff serving the whole organisation. It is not possible to break down the financial or manpower resources figures to England, Scotland and Wales or to express them in per capita terms. A per capita calculation would not in any event be meaningful in this sort of context.