HC Deb 19 April 2002 vol 383 cc1193-4W
Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria have to be met for sites of special scientific interest to be classified as in good condition. [48538]

Mr. Meacher

SSSIs are notified because of specific biological or geological features, and when those features are being managed in a way which maintains their nature conservation value, they are said to be in favourable condition. Sites are assessed against Common Standards, published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) which are well established. This publication will be made available to the Library of the House.

Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are being taken to ensure that 95 per cent of all sites of special scientific interest within the UK are brought into good condition by 2010. [48544]

Mr. Meacher

The target under the Department's public service agreement is that 95 per cent of SSSIs in England, by area, should be in favourable (or unfavourable and improving) condition by 2010. Nature conservation is a devolved matter. Some 60 per cent of sites in England are presently in favourable condition.

We are addressing the condition of SSSIs on several fronts. English Nature is working with owners and occupiers, advising on management and offering management agreements for positive management of sites. Where necessary, English Nature will also use strong new powers available under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, to tackle the condition of specific sites. With English Nature's advice, we will be looking carefully at the resources necessary to make good progress towards achieving the target.

We are also working with other Departments and public bodies, who own sites, or whose operations might affect sites, to ensure that their activities further the conservation of these special places.

Within DEFRA, we are looking at implementation of the Rural White Paper, the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Farming and Food on sustainable farming and, in the longer term, CAP reform measures with a view to addressing some of the incentives to heavy stocking, which can cause damage, particularly to upland SSSIs.