§ 39. Mr. Parkerasked the Minister of Works when a start is to be made on the necessary thinning of trees in The Mall and Birdcage Walk.
§ 40. Wing Commander Bullusasked the Minister of Works if he will make a statement about his proposals for the treatment of trees in St. James's Park.
§ Mr. BirchIt is generally agreed that our object should be to get fine avenues of well-grown trees in The Mall. This is impossible with planes planted only 20 ft. apart. The trees will suffer permanent damage if they are cut back much longer. I propose, therefore, in accordance with the recommendations of my Advisory Committee on Forestry, to remove alternate trees from the inner row on each side of the road during the coming winter.
§ Wing Commander BullusIs my right hon. Friend aware that Londoners are very anxious to preserve as many of the trees as possible in their parks? Will he give an undertaking that he will not cut down any trees unless it is absolutely necessary, and then see if we can have others planted in their place?
§ Mr. BirchWe are in fact carrying out a big planting programme in the parks. The point about The Mall was that the trees were originally planted close together because they were small and, like any other avenue or wood, they have to be thinned in due course.