HC Deb 19 March 1999 vol 327 cc570-1W
Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when his Department expects to complete management plans for its sites containing lowland heathland in accordance with section 5.1.6 of the costed habitat action plan for lowland heathland in the United Kingdom Biodiversity Steering Group report; [76495]

(2) how many sites owned by his Department hold more than 10 hectares of lowland heathland; how many of these sites are notified as sites of special scientific interest; and how many have management plans with specific targets for the maintenance and re-creation of lowland heathland agreed with the statutory nature conservation agencies; [76494]

(3) what is the extent of lowland heathland owned by his Department; and what proportion of the United Kingdom total of lowland heathland this constitutes; [76493]

(4) what sums his Department has allocated to bring lowland heathland habitats on its land into favourable nature conservation condition since May 1997; [76498]

(5) how much of the target for the re-establishment of lowland heathland in the United Kingdom that was published in 1995 in the United Kingdom Biodiversity Steering Group report his Department has achieved on its land to date; and how much it is planning to achieve on its land by the year 2005; [76496]

(6) what assessment he has made of the nature conservation condition of heathlands owned by his Department; how many of these sites were considered to be in favourable condition; and how many were in an unfavourable condition at the last assessment. [76497]

Mr. Spellar

The information requested is not held centrally and in order to provide a full response it will have to be collated from disparate sources around the country, making reference as necessary, to the statutory conservation bodies. I will write to the hon. Member once this process has been completed and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.