HL Deb 02 December 1993 vol 550 cc52-3WA
Lord Pearson of Rannoch

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether their implementation in Great Britain of the European Council Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora ("The Habitats Directive", 92/43/EEC) will:

  1. (a) increase the likelihood of compulsory purchase by conservation agencies;
  2. (b) increase the areas of land or water subject to such compulsory purchase;
  3. (c) increase the number or size of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs);
  4. (d) make it possible that some Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) or Special Protection Areas (SPAs) will not first have been designated as SSSIs;
  5. (e) permit more stringent control of SACs or SPAs than is at present applied to SSSIs;
  6. (f) open the United Kingdom to any of the above possibilities when outvoted on some future amendment of the Habitats Directive or its annexes;
and whether, if the answer to any of the above questions is in the affirmative, they intend to invoke the principle of subsidiarity under Article 3b of the Treaty of Rome as amended by the Treaty of European Union.

Baroness Denton of Wakefield

We have always aimed to meet our international obligations for nature conservation, especially for sites of national and international importance. The Habitats Directive brings no change to that policy but legislative amendments are necessary to transpose the directive into national law.

Compulsory purchase will remain an option of last resort. We and the agencies will seek co-operation with landowners and occupiers, through voluntary management agreements where necessary.

The suite of SSSI's is not complete. Programmes exist for further notifications—e.g., in the Flow Country—and some types of habitat under-represented.

The Government will ensure that all terrestrial SACs and SPAs will have been notified as SSSIs.

Where a conflict of interest arises in respect of an SSSI, the issue is decided on its merits. The national or international importance of the site is a material factor. With regard to SACs and SPAs, the requirements of Article 6 of the directive will be fully met.

The directive may be amended. Any proposals for amendment would be considered against the criteria set out in Article 3b of the Treaty, as amended, and the Edinburgh Guidelines.