§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ban all use of peat by his Department; whether he will formulate a national peatlands conservation policy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TrippierWe already use alternatives to peat whenever appropriate. We will carefully consider extending their use, but it is considered premature at this stage to ban the use of peat completely.
The Government recognise the nature conservation importance of the peatlands and are aware of the concerns expressed about the effects of peat extraction on them. We believe the best way of resolving these complex issues is within the established planning and conservation framework. We shall of course take account of forthcoming advice from the Nature Conservancy Council, together with the views expressed by the voluntary conservation bodies in their "Peat Report", the horticultural industry and many others. In England and Wales, mineral planning authorities are undertaking reviews of mineral working sites and permissions under the Town and Country Planning (Minerals) Act 1981 and will be considering peat working in this context.