§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow on 16 May,Official Report, column 119, if she will outline the research being undertaken by the Nature Conservancy Council into the identification of the most important sea bird feeding and gathering grounds in the United Kingdom; when Her Majesty's Government expect to receive the findings of this research; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterIn 1979, the Nature Conservancy Council commenced the sea birds at sea project, a research programme to study the distribution of sea bird populations most at risk from pollution, particularly oil-spill, in the North sea. The work was jointly funded by the oil and gas industry, NCC and Government Departments. A report of the studies was published in 1987.
A further phase of the project is now in progress, extending the survey to waters north and west of Scotland. The Department of the Environment expects to receive a preliminary report on the most important areas for sea birds later this year.
A final phase, due to start in 1990, will complete the geographic coverage by surveying the English channel and south-west approaches.