§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will propose Bolton Fell and Solway Moss peat bogs for Special Area of Conservation protection; and if she will make a statement. [188440]
§ Mr. BradshawBolton Fell and Solway Moss are being considered for designation as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). Consultations on these two sites are ongoing in the light of scientific objections raised about their candidature. Once this process has been concluded, and if the sites meet the selection criteria for SAC protection, they will be designated.
§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list peat bog sites broken down by(a) area and (b) protected status. [188441]
§ Mr. BradshawThere is no comprehensive list of all peat bogs in the UK. A list of Protected bogs according to country and their designation status has been placed in the Library of the House. National designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in Northern Ireland underpins international designation as a candidate Special Area of Conservation. This underpinning means that there are overlaps between Sites of Special Scientific Interest and candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs). Where the information is available this is shown on the list that has been placed in the Library of the House. Some cSACs may cover peat bog, but may be designated because of another natural feature of importance.
§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's strategy for protecting peat bogs. [188442]
§ Mr. BradshawBoth blanket bog and lowland raised bog are priority habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The Action Plans are published and are posted on the UKBAP website: www.ukbap.org.uk. Statutory site designation plays an important part in the conservation of both these types of bog. Notification as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) or Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) in Northern Ireland, 1937W provides protection for over 400 peat bogs, with many of the most important areas managed by statutory conservation agencies through agreements with site owners. Where appropriate, the designation process can include compulsory purchase of the land. The UK has proposed 106 active and degraded raised bogs as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs) under the Habitats Directive, and 107 blanket bog sites as cSACs. In addition to this site designation, the UK is also encouraging the development of non-peat alternatives as growing media and promoting the use of alternatives. Our aim is for a minimum of 40 per cent. of total market requirements to be peat free by 2005 and 90 per cent. by 2010.
§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what area of peat bogs has been lost to commercial peat extraction in each year since 1997. [188443]
§ Mr. BradshawPeat extraction is measured in cubic metres. The following figures shows peat extraction every year since 1997 and are derived from the British Geological Survey's Minerals Yearbook and the Office of National Statistics:
Peat extraction (thousand cubic metres) 1997 1,619 1998 1,076 1999 1,653 2000 1,626 2001 1,814 2002 973 2003 2,008 There is currently planning consent for extraction from 3,990.6 ha of raised peat bog in England, of which 72 ha is lapsed. The existence of planning consent does not mean that all or part of the area is necessarily cut. For example, a recent agreement with Scotts Company (UK) Ltd. in 2001 has meant that 1,886 ha of peatland has come out of peat extraction, although planning consent still remains on part of it.