§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what proportion of the land area in(a) Scotland and (b) Highland region is covered by the proposed list of special areas of conservation which he has received from Scottish Natural Heritage;
(2) what proportion of the sites of special scientific interest in (a) Scotland and (b) Highland region are included in the proposed list of special areas of conservation which he has received from Scottish Natural Heritage.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 31 March 1994]: Scottish Natural Heritage, in conjunction with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, has submitted to the Government a preliminary and confidential list of sites from which candidate special areas of conservation under the EC habitats directive, 92/43/EEC, may be chosen. This list does not constitute a list of proposed special areas of conservation, but merely a contribution to the Government's consideration of what sites may be proposed as candidate special areas of conservation.
The Government expect to publish for consultation later this year proposals for candidate special areas of conservation.
§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take advice from the local authorities on the economic and social needs of those areas contained in the proposed list of special areas of conservation he has received from Scottish Natural Heritage prior to its issue for public consultation.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 31 March 1994]: The preliminary advice received from Scottish Natural Heritage does not constitute a list of proposed special areas of conservation. The Government believe that when a list of candidate special areas of conservation has been prepared, the owners and occupiers of those sites should be the first to be informed. Nonetheless, the Scottish Office 120W would be interested in any advice which local authorities might care to give about areas which they consider suitable or unsuitable for proposal as special areas of conservation.