§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish his plans for the wetlands of the Solent under the Ramsar convention; and if he will make a statement on the timing of the publication.
§ Mr. YeoEnglish Nature is preparing a detailed case for submission to my Department but is unlikely to be in a position to make a formal recommendation before the end of this year. Good progress continues to be made in listing sites under the Ramsar convention. The United Kingdom has now listed 66 such sites, the largest number of any contracting party to the convention.