§ Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of sites of special scientific interest were in (a) good, (b) fair and (c) poor condition in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1998, (iv) 1999, (v) 2000 and (vi) 2001. [16537]
§ Mr. Meacher: Information on the condition of sites has been collected since April 1996. The features are assessed as being favourable; unfavourable but improving; unfavourable with no change; unfavourable and declining; and destroyed.
English Nature reports on SSSI condition in its annual reports, copies of which are available in the House Library. Figures from the reports are set in the table.
Percentage Year Favourable/ improving Good Unfavourable/no change Fair Declining or destroyed Poor April 1996—March 1997 67.2 22.9 9.9 April 1997—March 1998 72.0 15.7 12.3 April I998—March 1999 71.8 16.9 11.3 April I999—March 2000 58.8 29.6 11.6 April 2000—March 2001 58.0 27.0 15.0 Nature conservation is a devolved matter, and the National Assembly and Scottish Parliament hold information for Wales and Scotland respectively.
English Nature has a programme of monitoring SSSIs, which started in 1997. It will inspect each site at least once every six years. By March 2001, English Nature had inspected 66 per cent. of sites and assessed them against a common standard, giving the figure of 58 per cent. in good condition. Thus the figures for later years are more accurate than earlier estimates and do not necessarily show that actual deterioration has taken place. The programme of inspections was disrupted this year due to restrictions on access to land; however, English Nature plans to complete the cycle by the end of 2002–03 to give comprehensive data on all sites.
The Department has adopted a public service agreement target of aiming to deliver 95 per cent. of SSSIs in favourable condition by 2010. This is a challenging target. Deterioration through neglect of management was addressed in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, and EN now has new tools available. We will also need to secure policy changes which will remove the causes of poor condition of sites, with the co-operation of other Government Departments.