§ Mr. George Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the details of the nature reserve agreement between the Nature Conservancy Council and Udale (Jersey) Ltd. in relation to Ben Wyris; what is the cost to public funds; what conditions have been put on the agreement by the owners; and what consultation there was with the local authorities and elected representatives of the area before the agreement was concluded.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI am advised by the Nature Conservancy Council that it has agreed with the354W landowners concerned that 3,500 hectares of Ben Wyris should be managed as a nature reserve for a period of 30 years. The Ben Wyris national nature reserve was declared on 8 March this year. The precise details of the agreement are a matter of confidentiality between the parties. The NCC are not statutorily bound to consult local authorities when they propose to establish nature reserves but, I understand, that the Ross and Cromarty district council and the Highland regional council were informed prior to the formal declaration of the Reserve.