HC Deb 18 June 1992 vol 209 cc655-6W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to develop a United Kingdom conservation database in a form which could be inter-linked with the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Mr. Maclean

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 12 June the Darwin initiative on the survival of the species. This will draw together and build on United Kingdom strengths in the biodiversity field including the very good work carried out by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. We are currently considering how this initiative will be developed.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining his Department's policy on the conservation of global commons and the equitable sharing of derived benefits.

Mr. Maclean

Global commons are those areas such as the high seas and the atmosphere over which no one country has national sovereignty. I am not aware of any benefits derived from these areas which would need to be subject to equitable sharing.