§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the cost to the Exchequer, through grants payable by the Nature Conservancy Council under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, of protecting areas of conservation value from afforestation in the flow country of Caithness and Sutherland.
§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley[holding answer 8 February 1989]: I understand that the Nature Conservancy Council has not received any applications for grant under section 38 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 related to possible afforestation in the flow country of Caithness and Sutherland. NCC's estimates for 1989–90 include a sum of up to £750,000 to pay both for possible compensation under management agreements in the flow country and for additional staff for work related to SSSI designations in the area. Provision of £1 million has also been made in the planned allocations to NCC for both 1990–91 and 1991–92 to cover similar expenditure.