Written question asked by Alan Hurst (Labour) on Thursday, 10 March 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 16 March 2005. It was answered by Elliot Morley (Labour) on Wednesday, 16 March 2005 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for protecting the marine environment.

Answer: Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for protecting the marine environment. [221923] Mr. Morley: We have announced in the Defra five- year strategy that we will bring forward a Marine Bill some time in the next Parliament to deliver our vision of clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas. A Marine Bill will provide the framework within which those who regulate marine activities can ensure the sustainable use and protection of our marine resources. We are introducing regulations later this year to extend the conservation requirements of the EU Habitats and Bird's Directives offshore, and will identify further special areas of conservation and special protection areas as part of that process. We are committed to having a representative and ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas in the OSPAR region by 2010.

Secondary information