§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what procedures have been adopted to ensure that development proposals within areas which are recognised as being of sufficient importance to merit listing as special protection areas under directive 70/409 are given rigorous scrutiny.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe United Kingdom obligations in relation to sites which meet the criteria for listing under the EC birds directive are covered by the site protection measures enacted in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Where development proposals affect an SSSI, the NCC must be consulted so that conservation interests can be taken into account. The NCC may ask the appropriate 58W Secretary of State to consider determining any application which in their view may have a significant effect on the nature conservation interest of a site.