§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many species of plants and animals are indigenous to the Herald Way marsh in Coventry; and of those, how many are classified as endangered. [50120]
§ Angela EagleOver 1,142 species of plant and animal have been recorded at Herald Way marsh. The figure breaks down as follows:
- 250 species of plant
- 848 species of invertebrate
- 4 species of amphibian and reptile
- over 40 species of bird
- a range of common mammals.
The site supports an important assemblage of invertebrates, including 3 species that are classified as Rare or Vulnerable nationally, and 79 species classified as notable (considered scarce on a national scale).
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many species of animals, plants and insects there are(a) in Herald Way marsh and (b) on average in other sites of special scientific interest in England. [50122]
§ Angela Eagle1,142 species of animal, plant and invertebrate have been recorded at Herald Way marsh. For a breakdown of the figures I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the previous question.
Species lists for all 3,995 SSSIs in England are not held and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of water quality in Herald Way marsh; and what proportion of the impurities found comes from(a) industrial and (b) agricultural sources. [50123]
§ Angela EagleThe Environment Agency, which is responsible for monitoring water quality, is not aware of any direct industrial or agricultural sources of pollution of the Herald Way marsh. The land beneath the marsh is, however, contaminated by longstanding deposits of colliery waste. Leachability tests have indicated that the contaminants are relatively immobile and therefore pose a negligible risk to the environment if left in-situ. Since construction activity could disturb the contaminants, the Agency has asked the local planning authority to request detailed assessment of the environmental implications of all proposed developments in the area.