§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to conduct a survey of woodlands designated as sites of special scientific interest in order to examine them for possible damage from acid rain.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Elton)The Government are concerned to obtain the best possible understanding of the health of trees throughout the United Kingdom, including trees in sites of specific scientific interest, but there are no plans to survey those sites in isolation. Work is in hand within the Department of the Environment's research programme, and in consultation with the Forestry Commission and the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, to identify how further research can complement and enhance the result of existing and planned surveys.