§ (1) It shall be lawful for His Majesty, by Order in Council, to establish consultative committees for England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, respectively, for giving to the Commissioners in accordance with the provisions of the Order advice and assistance with respect to the exercise and performance by the Commissioners of their powers and duties under this Act.
§ (2) The constitution of each consultative committee shall be such as may be determined by the Order, so, however, that the Order shall, as far as practicable, provide for the inclusion among the members of the committee of— 840
- (a) persons having practical experience of matters relating to forestry, woodcraft,, and woodland industries;
- (b) representatives of labour;
- (c) representatives of county councils and any other local bodies interested in forestry;
- (d) representatives of any societies existing for the promotion of afforestation;
- (e) representatives of woodland owners.
Lieut.-Colonel MURRAYI beg to move, in Sub-section (2), to leave out the words "as far as practicable."
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Major COURTHOPEI beg to move, in Sub-section (2), after the word "of" ["the Committee of "], to insert the words "a. representative of the Board, or Department, of Agriculture having jurisdiction in. the Kingdom or Principality concerned, and."
Sir A. BOSCAWENI accept the principle of this Amendment, which deals with, the point referred to by my hon. Friend (Sir G. Younger) who wished to see a further liaison between the various Boards-of Agriculture and the Forestry Commission. We have already established the provision that in acquiring land and so on there must be consultation. Now it is proposed that as regards these consultative committees, of which there are four—one for England, one for Wales, one for Scotland, and one for Ireland—that there shall be a representative in each case of the appropriate Board of Agriculture. That is the intention of my hon. Friend's Amendment, and I shall be quite prepared to accept it, but I prefer to have it in this form—
a representative in the case of the English Committee and the Welsh Committee respectively of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, in the case of the Scottish Committee of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland, and in the case of the Irish Committee of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland.If my hon. and gallant Friend will move it in that form, I shall be glad to accept it.
§ Major COURTHOPEI shall be glad to move it in that form, and to withdraw the Amendment I have already moved.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§
Amendment made: In Sub-section (2), after the word "of" ["the Committee of "]insert the words
a representative in the case of the English Committee and the Welsh Committee respectively of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries,
841
in the case of the Scottish Committee of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland, and in the case of the Irish Committee of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland."—[Major Courthope.]
§ Mr. ACLANDI beg to move, in Subsection (2, d), to leave out the word "any."
Having taken out the words "so far as practicable" we have got to provide for the inclusion, as members of the Committee, of all these persons representing any societies. But certain persons might form a society for the purpose of afforestation and say, "You have got to include a representative of ourselves." Of course, there would be representatives of the obvious societies, the Royal English, the Royal Scottish, and so on, but one does not want to be compelled to put on representatives of all persons who might call themselves a society for the promotion of afforestation.
§ Major COURTHOPEThere are local bodies, too.
§ Mr. ACLANDI did not consider that local bodies interested in afforestation could multiply themselves unduly because local bodies are local bodies under the law.
§ Amendment agreed to.
Lieut.-Colonel MURRAYI beg to move, at the end of (Sub-section (2), to insert the words "(f) representatives of small holders."
Afforestation schemes in Scotland are to be put into operation in close co-operation with schemes for small holdings. There are already in Scotland between 50,000 and 60,000 smallholders. There has been created recently in Scotland a Scottish Council of Agriculture and the Secretary for Scotland has agreed that on the Council of Agriculture there shall be representation of smallholders. I hope the hon. and gallant Gentleman will accept the Amendment.
§ Major COURTHOPEIf smallholders obtain representation on the advisory bodies there is a score of other different denominations who would claim it, and claim it with more force. For instance, 'there are working foresters, and if they were to be extended in this manner the advisory bodies would become unworkable. I cannot see why smallholders cannot be content to be represented by the representatives of the Agricultural Department on the Consultative Committee. If the hon. Gentleman accepts this Amend- 842 ment I shall feel bound to move an Amendment giving representation to various, other bodies.
Lieut.-Colonel MURRAYMay I move my Amendment so that in the case of Scotland there shall be representation, of smallholders, because the smallholders movement in Scotland has grown to a very much greater extent than in England?
§ Sir G. YOUNGERI think that there is less necessity for this in Scotland than anywhere else, because the present Commissioner for small holdings in Scotland is unquestionably a man who will be appointed. There is no question whatever that Sir John Sutherland's knowledge of forestry is perfect; he knows all about it. Therefore, there is no necessity whatever for this particular Amendment.
Sir A. BOSCAWENI did not hold any very strong views about this Amendment, but after the dreadful warning I have received I think the safest course is that I should refuse to accept it.
§ Amendment negatived.
§ Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.