HL Deb 11 June 1984 vol 452 c988WA
Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the full establishment of the Nature Conservancy Council in Scotland, and whether they will indicate which posts are vacant, when they fell vacant and when it is intended the vacant posts should be filled.

Lord Skemersdale

The last establishment list of the Nature Conservancy Council in Scotland agreed with my department in 1979 shows 142 posts, 27 of which are vacant. The vacancies shown have existed for between two months and five years. The NCC expect to fill six of the posts by the end of the year.

However, the NCC advise me that the list is misleading because some of the vacancies shown are no longer required and some new vacancies which have arisen since 1979 are not on the list. Following a Rayner study of the Nature Conservancy Council, I expect to agree a new establishment for the organisation to reflect the changed balance of workload generated by the Wildlife and Countryside Act.