HC Deb 24 July 1991 vol 195 cc658-9W
Mr. Favell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the cost of the implementation of European Community draft directive document Nos. 4084/91 and 4548/91 to the Exchequer (i) directly and (ii) channelled via the European institutions.

Mr. Baldry

These documents contain proposed regulations to establish new Community funds for supporting actions relating to respectively the protection of northern coastal waters—NORSPA—and the protection of the environment generally—LIFE. For the former, we expect the council to decide that the amounts of money necessary for the funds would be 6.5 million ecu, approximately £4.5 million, for 1991 and 10 million ecu, approximately £7 million, for 1992. For the latter, the Community's 1991 budget allocated 30 million ecu, approximately £21 million, although in the absence of an agreed regulation this is now unlikely to be spent in the current year.

The United Kingdom's contribution through the Community's budget would be around 17 per cent. before abatement. It is not possible to estimate at this stage what proportion of these funds would be likely to be received by United Kingdom projects or interests.

Mr. Favell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the cost of the implementation of European Community draft directive document Nos. 8149/88, 9204/89, 5807/90 and 4684/91 on habitats of wild flora and fauna to(a) the Exchequer (i) directly and (ii) channelled via the European institutions, (b) industry and (c) the British consumer.

Mr. Baldry

The extent of designations likely to be required under the proposed habitats directive is currently being assessed. However, special areas of conservation will be identified from our network of sites of special scientific interest. In certain circumstances assistance towards the costs of conservation projects could be obtained under the ACNAT regulation which has a budget of 25 mecu—£17.4 million—for each of the next two years. The United Kingdom contribution to ACNAT will depend on both the level and timing of payments and the relative shares of the programme. No significant additional cost to British industry and the consumer has been identified.