§ Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what information his Department has collated on the rate of destruction of dry stone walls. [14396]
§ Angela EagleThe latest information on national losses of dry stone walls is derived from Countryside Survey 1990. This estimated that the total length of dry stone walls in Great Britain was 191,000 km in 1990, and that the overall length of dry stone walls had decreased by about 10 per cent. since 1984.
§ Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure the protection and good maintenance of dry stone walls in upland rural areas. [14398]
§ Angela EagleI refer to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend on 9 July 1997,Official Report, column 495, which described the grant assistance available from the Government and powers available to local authorities and National Parks for the protection and maintenance of dry stone walls.
§ Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated to determine the effect on the biodiversity of the countryside and upland areas of the dismantling of dry stone walls. [14397]
§ Angela EagleMy Department has not commissioned any such research. We are not aware of any directly relevant research on this subject, although the results of Countryside Survey 1990 showed that linear features in general were an important source of botanical diversity in the countryside.