Forestry

HC Deb 03 July 1961 vol 643 cc984-5

14. Mr. Boyden

asked the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food why the acreage in England planted with trees by the Forestry Commission during 1960 was lower than any annual planting between 1953 and 1957.

Mr. Soames

The need for planting in England is much less urgent than in the upland areas of Scotland and Wales. But the area planted in England was adequate both in relation to employment needs and the amount of suitable land available which cannot be better used in agriculture.

Mr. Boyden

Is it not more a matter of finance than of the amount of land available? Certainly in the Pennines areas there seems to be a lot of land available which is not suitable for farming but which would be suitable for forestry work.

Mr. Soames

I think that the hon. Member knows, by virtue of earlier talks which he has had with my Department, the difficulties of the extreme elevation and exposure in the areas to which he has referred. But it is not a question of finance. It was decided, and announced to the House some time ago, that we should have a programme of planting for 300,000 acres in Great Britain over the next ten years, and that is going forward according to plan.

15. Mr. Boyden

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the acreage of pit heaps and other derelict industrial land planted by the Forestry Commission, and for which the Forestry Commission paid a planting grant, respectively, during 1960.

Mr. Vane

The figures are 131 acres and 52 acres, respectively.

Mr. Boyden

Is it not rather deplorable? Would it not be more satisfactory if the Forestry Commission had a section devoted to this sort of work? I know that Lancashire and Durham local authorities do very well, but would it not be 'better if the Forestry Commission undertook some responsibility for this sort of thing?

Mr. Vane

The Forestry Commission is showing an increasing interest in this work, which is not without technical difficulties. But derelict and disused spoil heaps are primarily the responsibility of the owners of the land, although such authorities as the hon. Member mentioned have shown praiseworthy interest in the matter on amenity grounds.