§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the grants given by the Nature Conservancy Council towards the purchase of sites of special scientific interest land by voluntary conservationists in the current financial year; if he will express this 321W grant as a percentage of the total price paid where this is known; and if he will make a statement as to the role of such grants in the Nature Conservancy Council's work.
Body Site name Grant paid Per cent. of purchase price Northants Trust High Wood and Meadow 10,000 25 RSPB West Sedgemoor 16,000 25 Somerset Trust Beer and Aller Wood 5,375 25 RSPB Ouse Washes 1,188 25 Berks, Bucks and Oxon Oulsmoor Bog 8,750 25 Hereford and Radnor Upperhugg Meadow 1,640 25 Somerset Trust Tealham and Tadham 5,250 25 North York Moors National Lewisham Woods 12,500 25 Park Committee Woodland Trust America Wood 5,000 25 Gloucester Trust Coombe Hill Canal 4,750 25 Montgomery Trust Roundton Hill 7,750 33⅓ Hereford and Radnor Upper Lugg Meadow 595 25 RSPB Allt Pu Farm 16,000 25 Norfolk Trust Narborough Embankment 7,250 25 Northants Trust Wansford Pasture 3,666 33⅓ Yorks Wildlife Trust Sutton Ings 1,913 25 Somerset Trust Tealham and Tadham 4,050 25 Notts Trust Teversal Pastures 2,250 33⅓ RSPB Ouse Washes 6,156 25 Leics and Rutland Trust Orchid Meadows 11,893 33⅓ Scottish Wildlife Trust Whitlaw Wood 500 25 Scottish Wildlife Trust Woodhall Dean 8,500 50 Scottish Wildlife Trust Coilsholm Wood 950 25 Kent Trust Stonelees 8,000 50 Under arrangements operating since 1 April 1985 SSSI land attracts grant of 33⅓ per cent., and key sites of 50 per cent.
The list above includes details of those grants offered under previous arrangements and paid in the current financial year.
By assisting the voluntary conservation movement by way of grants, the Nature Conservancy Council will secure conservation protection of a substantial number of important nature conservation sites. They will continue with their programme of assistance as a viable alternative to NCC acquiring the land itself.