§ THE EARL OF SELBORNE had the following Question on the Paper—
§ To ask the Lord Privy Soal whether the Prime Minister will lay on the Table of both Houses of Parliament the Final Report of the Forestry Sub-Committee of the Reconstruction Committee which was sent in in May last.
§ The noble Earl said: My Lords, I would ask the noble Duke who represents the Board of Agriculture, and who, I believe, is going to answer this Question, whether he can give us any assurance on the subject of the Report of the Forestry Sub-Committee of the Reconstruction Committee. This Report was sent in to the Prime Minister, I understand, in May last. Your Lordships may be aware that this was a particularly strongly constituted sub-committee, commanding the greatest confidence from those interested in this subject, and the Report is awaited with very great anxiety by all those who have given attention to forestry in all parts of the United Kingdom. The reference to the sub-committee was not limited to Great Britain but extended to Ireland, and the Committee was representative of Ireland as well as of Scotland, England, and Wales. We are rather curious to know why there has been this delay in the publication of the Report, and I hope the noble Duke will be able to tell me that it will be published at the earliest possible date.
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH)My Lords, the Report of the Forestry Sub-Committee of the Reconstruction Committee is, at the Prime Minister's request, being carefully considered by the Minister for Reconstruction in consultation with the various Departments concerned in the development of afforestation. In these circumstances the Prime Minister is not at present prepared to give any undertaking as to the publication of the Report. I fear that this is the fullest information I can give to the noble Earl at the present time in reply to his Question.
§ THE EARL OF SELBORNEI believe that the Minister for Reconstruction has not yet commenced work. Therefore I am left wondering who has been considering this Report carefully during the last two months. But I shall return to the charge at an early date, when, as I hope, the Minister for Reconstruction will have had time to do more than begin to consider this question.