§ Sir SAMUEL ROBERTS(by Private Notice) asked the hon. Member for Monmouth, as representing the Forestry Commission, whether he is aware that at Haugh Wood, Woolhope, Herefordshire, the villagers have been accustomed to collect fallen boughs, etc., and whether now that the wood has been bought by the Forestry Commission and the land cleared for replanting, the forester in charge of the wood is refusing this concession to the villagers, and is having the fallen wood burnt on the spot, and whether, owing to the difficulty in obtaining fuel at the present 698 time, the Commissioners will allow the inhabitants to take unwanted wood, or in the alternative, to arrange for its distribution for fuel purposes instead of it being burnt on the spot and wasted?
§ Sir LEOLIN FORESTIER-WALKER (Forestry Commissioner)Local representatives of the Forestry Commissioners are authorised to grant permission to individual members of the public to remove unsaleable dead wood lying in the Department's forest areas, provided that no damage is thereby caused to State property, and that the work of afforestation is not impeded. Owing to the small number of persons removing such wood from Haugh Wood, Herefordshire, the quantity removed was insufficient to clear the ground without delaying the commencement of planting operations.
§ Sir S. ROBERTSMay I ask the hon. Member whether he will not put it to the Commissioners, seeing the quantity of wood is large and the villagers are small in number, that the villagers should be allowed to take away such wood as they can?
§ Sir L. FORESTIER-WALKERThey are allowed to take away such timber as is possible, but owing to the limited number of people, planting operations were delayed.