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Management Agreements

Volume 203: debated on Tuesday 4 February 1992

The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the number of management agreements under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which have been entered into in (a) national nature reserves and (b) sites of special scientific interest for each year since 1981 in England; and whether the proposed damage in each case was due to (i) agriculture or (ii) forestry; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will list the number of management agreements that have been entered into in England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 where payments have been given in the following ranges

(a) up to £9,999, (b) £10,000 to £19,999, (c) £20,000 to £29,000, (d) £30,000 to £39,999, (e) £40,000 to £49,999, (f) £50,000 to £59,999 and (g) over £60,000;

(3) if he will list (a) the ten sites of special scientific interest and (b) the ten national nature reserves in England which have the most expensive management agreements giving the name of the site, county in which it is located and the amount which has been or is due to be paid out; if the landowners are required to positively enhance the site as part of the conditions of payments; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 3 February 1992]: Few management agreements under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 have been negotiated on national nature reserves, as these are mainly already under sympathetic management and the payments are negligible compared with payments on the agreements on sites of special scientific interest which follow.Management agreements entered into in England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 on sites of special scientific interest still active total 1,098.Of these at least 61 arose from proposed damage arising from forestry. A further 1,037 arose from other proposed damage, mainly from agriculture.The approximate number of agreements entered into or renewed each year and which are still active are as follows.

FYNumber of threat casesNumber due to forestryNumber due to agriculture
1982–83422
1983–84835
1984–8516115
1985–8625223
1986–8749544
1987–8857255
1988–8963360
1989–9024715232
1990–9125714243
1991–9237214358
Total1,098611,037
Agreements which have expired and those renewed at present are not included.Payments have been made as follows under the 1,098 management agreements entered into England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This covers currently existing agreements but not those that have expired.

1,098 agreements
£'s
Number of cases with capital costsNumber of cases with annual payments
Less than 9,999139946
10,000—19,9991820
20,000—29,99938
30,000—39,99958
40,000—49,99932
50,000—59,99900
Greater than 60,00053
Total173987
A few have both capital payment (lump sum) and an annual payment.Details of management agreement payments are confidential between English Nature and the owner or occupier of land, and cannot therefore be provided.