Archived press release

Countryside Bill enters final stages. - Government strengthens wildlife measures

22 November 2000

The Countryside Bill has its final day ('Third Reading') in the House of Lords tomorrow and is expected to clear Parliament and become law on 29 November.

The Countryside Bill has been substantially amended to improve wildlife protection following concerted action by FOE and MPs and Lords of all Parties. The amendment provides a lifeline to threatened species such as the red squirrel, water vole and early gentian.

The Government has just made a major concession to Lords by introducing a new section backing action to protect the UK's endangered biodiversity and making all Government departments play their part in biodiversity conservation. FOE has mobilised a thousand E-mail activists to press for biodiversity measures since the Spring and thousands of people have been writing to the Prime Minister over the Summer.

In contrast the huge number of attacks on the bill from opposition Lords angry about wider public access have failed to rock its progress. The Government has made minor concessions on access.

Matt Phillips of Friends of the Earth said: “The Lords have worked hard to toughen this bill for wildlife. We hope they won't ruin that work now by making a last minute threat to its progress. The World is facing a biodiversity crisis because business interests and intensive farming are being put before positive action for our biodiversity resources. The biodiversity amendment Lords have secured must result in a shake-up of those dinosaur Departments who have done so much to threaten our skylarks, otters and meadows.”

Notes:
Friends of the Earth has campaigned for six years to secure improved protection for the UK's finest wildlife areas, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). According to English Nature more than half of these sites are in an unfavourable condition. The CRoW bill ensures that these sites will be put under positive management and puts a duty of care on all public bodies who own, manage or affect SSSIs.

At one point the bill faced 700 Lords' amendments mostly about public access. At Third Reading the bill faces a fraction of this (only 24 so far, mostly Government, although there are likely to be more). It remains possible that an aggressive

amendment may be forced on the bill at Third Reading resulting in the bill being rejected in the Commons.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust