§ 66. Mr. Woodburnasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how far the planting programme of the Forestry Commission falls short of the original plans; and the causes.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonThe first year of the planting programme was 1947. In the nine years to 1955 the area planted by the Forestry Commission in Great Britain as a whole was 485,000 acres—that is to say, 63 per cent. of the programme.
The difference between programme and achievement was largely caused by competing claims for capital, labour and equipment in the early post-war years, and latterly by the difficulty of acquiring sufficient plantable land.
§ Mr. WoodburnIs not this Question closely related to the two which have just been answered? Is delay due to any tenderness on the part of the Forestry Commission to take over land when private owners are not prepared to do the work? Is the Commission being too gentle with the private owners and could not the progress in this work be speeded up?
§ Mr. MacphersonPlans are being made for the planting in Scotland of some 200,000 acres of felled woodland under economic management, of which about 120,000 are subject to dedication and approved woodlands schemes in private ownership and 80,000 acres under the Forestry Commission. Of course, the Commission is always considering how best to acquire land. I am obliged to the right hon. Gentleman for having raised this question, because it is in the national interest that as much land as possible should come forward for acquisition.
§ Mr. WoodburnWill the Minister be encouraged to look further into the question to see that where private owners are not prepared to enter into dedicated schemes the land will not lie idle but that the Forestry Commission will take it over and get on with the job?
§ Mr. MacphersonThat will remain under constant consideration.