HL Deb 12 January 2004 vol 657 cc74-5WA
Baroness Byford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the monitoring and reporting programme established under the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan was devised after consultation with the European Union; and whether there are standardised data gathering and monitoring across the European Union. [HL537]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)

The European Union was not consulted in developing the monitoring and reporting arrangements for the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan. The first round of monitoring of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan was undertaken in 1999 before the European Commission had completed its Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans. The European Commission is only now considering how to assess its Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans.

There is very little standardised data gathering and monitoring of biodiversity across Europe, though several EU initiatives are in progress. The European Environment Agency is developing a core set of indicators, including biodiversity, which are based on standardised data gathering and new data standards are being developed. The Habitats Committee of the EU Habitats and Species Directive is considering standardised approaches to assessment of favourable condition of species and habitats of Community interest. The European Commission has recently issued a call for research proposals within the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Development on the topic of monitoring methods and systems of surveillance for species and habitats. There are also a number of other initiatives led by non governmental organisations undertaking surveillance of different species groups including birds, butterflies and plants.

Lord Morris of Manchester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has made towards developing a biodiversity strategy for England; and how involved the broad stakeholder group has been in the process. [HL625]

Lord Whitty

In October 2002 the Government publishedWorking with the grain of naturea biodiversity strategy for England. The strategy can be found athttp://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/ewd/biostrat/index.htm. The strategy aims to ensure that the implications for biodiversity as a whole are considered as an integral part of other key policies including agriculture, water, woodlands, urban and the marine and coastal environment.

Development of the strategy involved the active participation of a wide range of organisations and individuals both inside and outside Government. Stakeholders continue to be involved through workstreams established to take forward implementation of the strategy.

The England Biodiversity Group, comprising representatives of central and local government, conservation agencies, business and land management organisations and non-government conservation bodies, oversees implementation of the Strategy. The group published an annual stock-take in December 2003 and this can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlifecountryside/ewd/biostrat/stocktake2003.pdf.

In December 2003 we published a set of biodiversity indicators to help monitor progress with the strategy. The indicators can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/ewd/biostrat/indicators031201.pdf. The Government recognise and value highly the contribution of stakeholder groups and individuals to the collection of data used in many of the indicators.