§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evaluation he has made of the use of management agreements as a means of protecting sites of special scientific interest; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsMy right hon. Friend considers that the United Kingdom's existing system for preventing damage to notified sites under the SSSI provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the land-use planning system together provide effective safeguards. The financial guidelines, which provide a basis for calculating payments in management agreements, are currently under review. The revised guidelines will be the subject of public consultation before they come into force.
§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times he has granted nature conservation orders for the protection of sites of special scientific interest under section 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; how many are still in operation; how many he has refused in England since 1982; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsAt 31 December 1993, 29 orders had been made. Of these, 10 have been revoked after satisfactory protection for the site was agreed with the owners, one was revoked after a local inquiry as the site did not meet the legal requirements for an order and 18 are in place. In the majority of these, negotiations towards a management agreement are continuing. Orders have been refused on three occasions. It is a measure of the success of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and of the voluntary principle policy that the Secretary of State has used his powers on so few occasions.