§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
How much money was spent by
- (i) the Nature Conservancy Council in Great Britain and
- (ii) the Conservation Branch of the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)
on the following activities in 1984–85, and how much money is expected to be spent in 1985–86:
- (a) the identification and notification of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) or areas of special scientific interest (ASSIs);
946 - (b) management agreements with owners or occupiers of SSSIs or ASSIs;
- (c) grants to voluntary bodies to purchase SSSIs or ASSIs as nature reserves.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleThe information is as follows:
Statutory provisions for the notification of ASSIs under the Nature Conservancy and Amenity Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 came into force on 14th April this year and formal notifications are planned to commence in November. This programme is unlikely to incur expenditure on management agreements or to give rise to grant applications from voluntary bodies until the 1986–87 financial year.
1984–85 Expenditure £000 1985–86 Projected Expenditure £000 i. Nature Conservancy Council in Great Britain (a) Identification and notification of SSSIs 549 1,169 (b) Management agreements 1,145 2,250 (c)Grants to voluntary bodies for site purchase 475 900 ii. Department of Environment (Northern Ireland) (a) Identification and notification of ASSIs 13 15 (b) Management agreements NIL NIL (c) Grants to voluntary bodies for site purchase NIL NIL