asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now extend the designations of environmentally sensitive area to the whole of the South Downs in West Sussex; and if he will make a statement.

In his statement of 9 February announcing additional funding for further ESAs my right hon. Friend said that we would build on the existing short list from the Countryside Commission and Nature Conservancy Council. The western part of the south downs is on that short list and we shall therefore give careful consideration to the case for designating the area.