§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial support her Department provides to charities working with Britain's wildlife. [169881]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Department's principal direct support to charities working with Britain's wildlife is the Environmental Action Fund. In the period 2002–05, £4,115,782 has been provided to voluntary bodies to undertake 23 biodiversity projects. Other voluntary bodies working with Britain's wildlife have received funding for understanding and awareness projects, including education for sustainable development. Full details of the Environmental Action Fund grants can be found at: www.defraweb/environment/eaf/index.htm
Voluntary bodies working with biodiversity in England also receive support from the funding provided to the Department's conservation agencies, English Nature, Environment Agency and Forestry Commission.
In addition, the Department provides funding—usually through contractual arrangements—or voluntary wildlife bodies for particular purposes such as research and monitoring. Examples of funding of this sort in 2003–04 included £248,145 for the National Biodiversity Network, £72,981 for a mammal monitoring project and £25,000 to the Bat Conservation Trust to run a helpline and set up a database.