§ Mr. Kenneth Carlisleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the number and area of special protection areas now notified to the European Commission under directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds; how many further sites identified as meeting the criteria for listing remain; and how many of these have been notified as sites of special scientific interest under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
§ Mrs. RumboldEighteen special protection areas have so far been notified by the United Kingdom to the European Commission under EC directive 79/409 on wild birds. The total area involved is 40,720 hectares.
The Nature Conservancy Council has identified a further 135 sites which, in its opinion, are eligible for designation. The Nature Conservancy Council could not, except at disproportionate cost, identify which areas of these have so far been notified as sites of special scientific interest.