HC Deb 01 July 1994 vol 245 cc730-1W
Mr. Morley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of funding is provided by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to the British Trust for Ornithology; and what this figure is as a proportion of the British Trust for Ornithology's total expenditure for each of the last four years.

Mr. Atkins

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee's contract with BTO will be worth £414,000 this year. Figures comparing the value of the contract and the trust's expenditure over the last four financial years are as follows:

£ thousands
1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94
BTO Expenditure 1,024 1,660 1,225 N/a
Value of JNCC contract 301 365 399 393
Contract as percentage of BTO expenditure 29.4 22.0 32.6

N/a—Not available.

Figures for 1990–91 are for BTO's contract with the former NCC.

Mr. Morley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the annual cost of administering the statutory bird-ringing scheme and licensing activities which are contracted out to the British Trust for Ornithology in 1993–94 and 1994–95.

Mr. Atkins

The British Trust for Ornithology operates a national bird-ringing scheme under contract from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. This scheme is not statutory. In 1993–94, funding from the JNCC amounted to approximately £112,000. In 1994–95, funding will be about £138,000. The BTO is licensed by English Nature, the Countryside Council for Wales and Scottish Natural Heritage to issue permits for ringing or marking birds or examining any ring or mark.

Mr. Morley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the funding of the British Trust for Ornithology.

Mr. Atkins

My Department has received three written representations about the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's contract with the British Trust for Ornithology for the provision of bird-ringing data, including one from the hon. Member.

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