§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the success of the stone curlew within the Breckland Farmland Site of Special Scientific Interest is measured. [165144]
§ Mr. Bradshaw[holding answer 19 April 2004]: The stone curlew population will be assessed for the whole of the Breckland pSPA, which includes Breckland Farmland SSSI. This assessment is based on annual 1492W counts and is considered by English Nature in conjunction with available information on the UK population and distribution trends, to assess whether the pSPA is continuing to support the numbers of stone curlews for which it has been selected and make a contribution to the Favourable Conservation Status of the species across Europe.
The conservation objective for Breckland pSPA is to maintain in favourable condition the habitats of the internationally important population of stone curlew. To date, the successful recovery of the stone curlew within the pSPA can be measured by the increase in numbers of breeding pairs since the start of the recovery project in 1985 and that the target of 200 pairs set in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for the numbers of breeding pairs was achieved two years ahead of schedule and continues to rise.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the legal costs to date associated with the Breckland Farmland Site of Special Scientific Interest and the proposed Breckland Special Protection Area are(a) excluding costs relating to legal challenges and (b) including costs relating to legal challenges; and what other costs to date have been incurred by (i) English Nature and (ii) her Department. [165130]
§ Mr. BradshawThe legal costs to date associated with the Breckland Farmland Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the proposed Breckland Special Protection Area incurred by English Nature are:(a) excluding costs relating to legal challenges, approximately £10,000; and (b) including costs relating to legal challenges, approximately £250,000, both amounts are subject to VAT.
The first amount (a) includes legal advice concerning the SSSI notification process and letters of objection together with legal representation at the English Nature Council meeting in July 2001. Included within the costs at (b) is the cost of the High Court proceedings as incurred by English Nature in the legal challenge brought by the hon. Patrick Fisher and the Trustees of the Hon. P.V Fisher's Children's 1986 Settlement.
With regard to any other costs incurred by (i) English Nature, I regret that these would be obtainable only at disproportionate cost but would cover the time provided by various members of staff involved in the proceedings. The costs incurred by (ii) Defra are negligible as the Department is not a party to the proceedings brought over Breckland Farmland SSSI.