To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research that his Department has commissioned is being undertaken by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee; and if he will make a statement.

DEFRA does not routinely commission research from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) but, rather asks for advice. JNCC then commissions research that it believes is necessary to underpin this advice. Details of this research are available in the JNCC annual report and its planned research is contained in its Corporate Plan, both of which can be found on JNCC's website.

There is one exception however, in that JNCC is currently undertaking DEFRA commissioned research on the status of marine habitats and species as part of DEFRA's contract to JNCC to author chapters of 'Charting Progress 2'. This in turn is a contribution to the UK Marine Monitoring and Assessment Strategy, as required under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.