"Urgent need to protect our rich diversity of flora and fauna" says James Couchman MP.

James Couchman MP (Conservative - Gillingham) who came 12th in the recent Private Members' Ballot will today introduce a new Wildlife Bill into Parliament with cross party support. The Bill aims to.....

* give greater protection from damage and development to the nation's best wildlife areas - the sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs),

* ensure that taxpayer's conservation money is used to promote conservation rather than paying landowners to do nothing and

* enable courts to order persons convicted of illegal damage to SSSIs to rectify that damage.

Explaining his choice of Bill, James Couchman said:

"Our country has an amazing diversity of flora and fauna. Whilst the existing legislation does set out a good mechanism to protect it, after 14 years in operation loopholes in the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 have become apparent. Every year hundreds of SSSIs area damaged and currently over 800 are threatened with damage in the future. If we allow the continuing nibbling away of our best wildlife areas some animals and plants could be pushed to the brink of extinction in this country. My Bill will promote the urgent action needed by building on the strengths of the 1981 Act. I will be entering into discussions with the Government and the statutory bodies like English Nature in order to secure general support. I am confident of success".

The Bill, originally drafted by Friends of the Earth, has the support of all the UK's major conservation organisations, including the WIldlife Trusts, the World Wide Fund for Nature UK, RSPB and Plantlife, and enjoys endorsement from nearly 200 smaller bodies and over 100 Local Authorities.

Tony Juniper, Deputy Campaigns Director at Friends of the Earth said:

"There is every reason to be concerned about the future of Britain's wildlife sites and we are delighted that our long campaign to improve the 1981 Act now has a chance of success. It is especially appropriate that we have reached this stage on the very day that the Government publishes its Biodiversity Strategy. We hope our Wildlife Bill will help the Government meet its stated aims of protecting species and habitats and that we will receive official support for it". . ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] James Couchman is the Parliamentary Private Secretary of the Leader of the House, the Rt Hon Tony Newton MP.

[2] 260 MPs signed Early Day Motion (EDM) No 999 in support of Friends of the Earth's Wildife Bill in the last session of Parliament. This is over half the MPs eligible to sign EDMs.

[3] The Government's Biodiversity Strategy to be published on Wednesday implements aspects of the Biodiversity Convention signed by the UK Government at the Rio Earth Summit.