Status
Recommendation (e). We recommend that Government Departments, Executive Agencies, Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Utility Regulators and the Regional Development Agencies should be required to further the aims of the Biodiversity Action Plans. The resource implications of this statutory duty should be examined and addressed.
We note the Committee’s concern that the duty to further biodiversity had not been extended to Executive Agencies, Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Utility Regulators and the Regional Development Agencies. However, the new duty on the Secretary of State in section 74(3) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to promote the taking of steps by others to further the conservation of the species and habitats of principal importance, will include these bodies as appropriate. And the Green Ministers have already agreed that associate bodies should report on environmental matters, including biodiversity, in their annual reports or separately.
Recommendation (f). We are pleased that the Government’s Community Strategies initiative will offer some backing to biodiversity policy for local authorities and we recommend that this should encompass some commitment to local record centres and local wildlife sites. We expect the Government to review the effectiveness of this approach in delivering greater commitment to biodiversity and introduce a stronger statutory duty if necessary.
Recommendation (i). It is clear that the network of local record centres should be expanded and receive greater support. We recommend that county councils, unitary authorities, metropolitan councils and the Greater London Authority be given a duty to ensure that local record centres are provided. The Government should consider what additional resources will be required to fulfil this duty.
Recommendation (k). If local authorities are to be given duties relating to local record centres, local wildlife sites and furthering the action plans, some additional funding must be supplied by central Government. We recommend that the Government provide an additional £10 million to local authorities. This funding should ensure that the authority provides a biodiversity officer, or enables an equivalent service to be agreed with other interested parties, with responsibility for the local wildlife site register and the local record centre.
The Government considers that Local Biodiversity Action Plans are amongst the elements local authorities should take into account and build upon when preparing the overarching community strategy required by section 4 of the Local Government Act 2000. Local wildlife sites will be key elements of Local Biodiversity Action Plans and local record centres are important sources of information and monitoring data. Expansion and incorporation of local record centre data will be a significant element of the developing National Biodiversity Network to which the government is allocating substantial resources.
The preparation of community strategies will be covered by one of each local authority’s performance indicators under the duty of best value; the way in which authorities perform this function, including having regard to statutory guidance, will therefore also be subject to the best value audit and inspection regime. The Government does not consider that any further duty should be imposed on local authorities. In taking forward their work on the England Biodiversity Strategy the Government and the England Biodiversity Group will consider further how best to encourage local biodiversity action.
Published 21 May 2001
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