Hilary Benn MP on 'Why the Natural Environment Matters'
Hilary Benn MP highlighted the achievements and significance of England’s National Parks in a recent speech in which he committed £500,000 funding over 2 years for an ‘ecosystem assessment’ for England. This will draw together expertise from various organisations to give a more comprehensive picture of England’s natural environments.
Speaking at the Barnes Wetland Centre in London on 21st July 2008, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that National Parks have “conserved some of the most important and iconic of our landscapes”. He reminded people that polling had shown that over 90% of people feel National Parks are important to them.
Mr Benn spoke of wanting to see more people visiting National Parks, following research which has found that access to green spaces has a positive economic impact, as well as benefits for physical and mental health and nourishing of the soul. He also saw visits for children to national parks and farms as important opportunities for learning about the natural environment. Hilary Benn will be speaking at the ANPA Conference in the Lake District in September 2008.
