§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of each of the national parks in England are designated as environmentally sensitive areas; and what is the ESA acreage in each instance.
§ Mr. BaldrySubstantial parts of the existing Pennine dales, North Peak and the Broads ESAs fall within the Yorkshire Dales national park, the Peak District national park and the Broads Authority respectively. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's recent announcement of further ESA designations included areas in the Lake district, Peak district and Exmoor and Dartmoor national parks. Detailed work on the ESA boundaries to reflect the particular purposes of each new scheme is still underway. The precise proportion of new ESAs in national parks cannot be determined until their boundaries are set, and for existing areas the information can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.