§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they intend to list the River Orwell (Suffolk) as a special protection area under Directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds, and under the Ramsar Convention.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Elton)The Orwell Estuary forms part of an area proposed by the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) for designation as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention and as a special protection area for birds under EC Directive 79/409. The proposed area also includes part of the Stour Estuary.
The NCC expect to complete their consultations with owners and occupiers over the whole area by the end of this year. When they have done so, they will submit the proposal to the Department of the Environment for consideration in consultation with other interested departments.