§ Mr. SternTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) pursuant to his reply of 11 May,Official Report, column 128, whether he will make it his policy that sites meeting the revised criteria and guidelines for the identification of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention should be listed under article 2 of the convention;
(2) pursuant to his reply of 11 May, Official Report column 127, whether he will make it his policy that sites confirmed by the Nature Conservancy Council as qualifying for designation as special protection areas under EC directive 79/409 or wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention should be so designated.
§ Mr. MoynihanThe Government consider the formal classification under the Ramsar convention and/or the EC birds directive of all sites which the Nature Conservancy Council concludes meet the relevant criteria when the necessary preparatory work is completed. Our aim is to designate those sites which are necessary to meet the conservation objectives of the convention and the directive.