§ 55. Mr. PatnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in implementing the proposals outlined in his Department's booklet, "Defence and the Environment."
§ Mr. Neubert"Defence and the Environment" was published in 1987 as part of the Department's contribution to the European Year of the Environment. It did not contain any specific proposals, but described the extent of conservation activity on the defence estate. We continue to place a high priority on conservation in the management of our estate and the number of local conservation groups has continued to increase. In January 1988, we concluded a joint declaration of intent with the Nature Conservancy Council with which we enjoy a close working relationship.