HC Deb 15 November 1989 vol 160 c368W
Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to place in the Library copies of the responses to his proposals relating to the Nature Conservancy Council.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

[holding answer 13 November 1989]: As is standard practice with consultation exercises, a public file of responses is available for inspection. The public file on the SDD consultation paper, "Scotland's Natural Heritage", is available in St. Andrew's house library, Edinburgh. The file contains all responses except those submitted in confidence. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the House of Commons Library and shall advise the hon. Member when it is available.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 8 November, what assessment he has made of(a) the time in man hours and (b) the cost of producing the breakdown of responses relating to those for and against Nature Conservancy Council proposals.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

[holding answer 13 November 1989]: None. I must emphasise that the Scottish Development Department's consultation paper sought views only on the proposal to create a Scottish natural heritage agency. It is not possible, nor would it be meaningful, to attempt to identify respondents' views on the question posed by the hon. Member.