§ Baroness Hilton of Eggardonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the criteria for ponds, which are sources of biodiversity, archaeology and evidence of climate change, to be granted a Habitat Action Plan. [HL2565]
§ Lord WhittyThe criteria for the selection of priority habitats requiring habitat action plans were published in December 1995 by the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Steering Group. The steering group decided that 95WA habitats requiring habitat action plans must meet one or more of the following criteria: habitats for which the UK has international obligations; habitats at risk, such as those with a high rate of decline especially over the last 20 years, or which are rare; areas, particularly marine areas, which may be functionally critical (essential for organisms inhabiting wider ecosystems such as sea grass beds for spawning fish); areas important for key species i.e. UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species.
Habitat action plans for 45 priority habitats that met these criteria were published by October 1999. A subsequent review of the gaps in the priority habitats series carried out by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee identified a further seven priority habitats thought to meet the criteria. Ponds of high ecological quality are one of the habitats identified.
Development and implementation of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan is a devolved matter. The Country Biodiversity Groups for England, Scotland and Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive have been consulted about the proposal for a new ponds of high ecological quality habitat action plan. Their views will be submitted to the UK Biodiversity Partnership for a final decision on whether a UK habitat action plan should be produced.