Sites of Special Scientific Interest

HC Deb 29 June 1992 vol 210 c366W

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to carry out new consultations with a view to revising the guidelines on compensation payments to owners of sites of special scientific interest.

Mr. Maclean

Yes.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account he has taken of the size of awards to landowners made in respect of sites of special scientific interest in the past when planning the total of future public spending on nature conservation.

Mr. Maclean

Public expenditure plans for conservation are informed by the figures provided by English Nature in its corporate plan which takes account of the likely costs of payments to owners of SSSIs under management agreements.