Forestry (Hansard, 24 February 1988)

§ 6. Mr. Hardy
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to amend forestry policy in regard to the protection of areas of ecological importance, and in particular the flow country of Caithness and Sutherland.

§ Mr. Rifkind
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement that I made to the House on 25 January, by way of a written answer, covering the protection of areas of ecological importance in the peatland of Caithness and Sutherland.

§ Mr. Hardy
Does the Secretary of State accept that Britain's conservation bodies, whether public or private, remain deeply concerned about the damaging scale of blanket afforestation in those areas, which seems likely to continue? Does he accept that the local, national and international interest suggests that greater priority should be given to the ecological importance of those areas, rather than to maintaining tax regimes which may assist a few people of celebrated importance?

§ Mr. Rifkind
I advise the hon. Gentleman that the Government attach importance to the ecological significance of the flow country of Caithness, which is precisely why we made the announcement that we did. The policy that we announced was welcomed by the Nature Conservancy Council, but it is significant that it was welcomed also by Highland regional council and the Highlands and Islands Development Board. We seek to achieve two legitimate objectives: to meet the ecological criteria, which we have done on a scientific basis, and, at the same time, to take account of the livelihood of those who live in that part of Scotland and who have a legitimate interest with regard to their livelihood and the work opportunities that are available to them.

§ Mr. Macdonald
With regard to the relationship between ecological forms of land use and forestry, does the Secretary of State accept that crofting is one of the most environmentally sensitive forms of land use? How can he justify taxpayers' money being given hand over fist to speculators who, frequently, are not resident in the Highlands and Islands, to engage in commercial forestry, whereas crofters are excluded from such access to commercial forestry? When will he progress from expressions of high sympathy for the crofters to doing something about that situation?

§ Mr. Rifkind
The opportunities that are available to crofters are similar to those that are available to, for example, tenant farmers elsewhere in Scotland. The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that his tax question is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

§ Sir Russell Johnston
Is the Secretary of State aware that I very much welcome the answer that he gave to the 288 hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy), that we in the Highlands must consider not only ecological protection, but work and jobs. In return for that generosity, given that there are only five Conservative Members of Parliament present who represent Scottish constituencies, will the right hon. and learned Gentleman assure us that he might find some way of keeping quiet the raucous invasion from south of the border?

§ Mr. Rifkind
Whether in the Highland region or other rural areas, it is always essential to take into account the legitimate needs of the local community and the wider economic importance of forestry in Scotland. For example, we would not be able to have the major £250 million investment in a papermill at Irvine but for the availability of spruce in Scotland to service the requirements of that factory. We need to achieve a proper balance, and the announcement that we made in January, which has been welcomed by the Nature Conservancy Council, shows that we have achieved what many might have thought impossible — the reconciliation of those two interests in a constructive way.

§ Sir Hector Monro
Does my right hon. and learned Friend accept that 100 per cent. of the Conservative party is here and there is present a miserable percentage of the Liberal party, mixed, and all at odds with each other, anyhow? Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that his announcement last month was an acceptable compromise in the interests of all concerned, the Nature Conservancy Council, the sites of special scientific interest and the Highlands regional council, and aimed at creating employment? In addition to those important aspects, will my right hon. and learned Friend also bear in mind that, in the general context of the whole of Scotland, the most important issue is the beauty of the land, and we do not want too much blanket afforestation keeping away tourists and others who want to see Scotland as it really is?

§ Mr. Rifkind
I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. The Forestry Commission is to be commended on showing much greater sensitivity to those objectives in recent years. For example, it has insisted on broadleaved planting as part of a more general planting. There may still be improvements that can be made, but most objective commentators would accept that the Forestry Commission, and, indeed, those in the private sector involved in planting, have taken far greater account of environmental considerations in recent years than used to be the case.

§ Mr. Home Robertson
Is the Secretary of State aware that we, for our part, would strongly support the properly planned expansion of forestry in Scotland, but will he come clean about the position of the Scottish Office on the grotesque development of blanket tax incentives for blanket afforestation? Is he aware that, for once, his hon. Friend the Member for Stirling (Mr. Forsyth) was right when he told the House of Commons, in an Adjournment debate on 26 January 1987, that a new generation of absentee landlords was exploiting that tax shelter? Will he, just this once, listen to his hon. Friend and acknowledge that those tax incentives should be drastically overhauled before any more damage is done to the Scottish countryside or to the reputation of the forestry industry?

§ Mr. Rifkind
I acknowledge that the hon. Gentleman can speak better on behalf of absentee landlords than most 289 of us, but fiscal matters are for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. If we, like the Opposition, wish to see a proper planting programme and the benefits to the Scottish economy that forestry represents, we must ensure that whatever system exists there will be a proper planting programme and a proper availability to the wood pulp and other comparable industries of the raw materials that they require.