§ 4. Mr. Speirasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the Forestry Commission has now been able to make arrangements for assisting occupiers of properties adjoining the Commission's plantations to burn heather in the neighbourhood of those plantations.
Mr. AmoryIn March last the Commissioners decided, as a trial in certain areas, to offer to assist neighbouring occupiers by burning on land adjoining Commission plantations.
§ Mr. SpeirMay I ask the Minister to encourage the Commission to be a little more generous and more neighbourly, because this protects the Commission's property as well as that of the occupiers?
Mr. AmoryI should like to assure my hon. Friend that the Commission takes a very conscientious view of its responsibilities in this matter. It sees the advantages to the Commission, but of course it is also conscious of the risk it might run of claims for damage from third parties. I am sure that it gives consideration to all these questions.
Mr. AmoryI think that would be the general policy so far as trials are successful, to test the position in other places and to extend it if it were found possible to do so.