§ THE EARL OF SELBORNE rose to ask the Lord Privy Seal whether he is now in a position to state the decision of His Majesty's Government on the Report of the Forestry Sub-Committee of the Reconstruction Committee.
679§ The noble Earl said: My Lords, I know that this matter has been receiving the close attention of the whole of the Cabinet, but a decision is very urgently called for, because there is no authority that has the means or the staff wherewith to collect the seed from the coniferous trees which will probably all be cut down in the course of the next winter, and unless this season's seed crop is collected at least, so that we may have plants for replanting after the war, there really is little or no prospect of any such seed being forthcoming when the war is over, as an almost complete clearance will have been made at the end of this next winter. The whole problem of re-afforestation depends on the decision of the Cabinet, and therefore my noble friend who is going to reply will not be surprised when I tell him that all who are interested in this subject in the three kingdoms are looking forward very anxiously for a decision.
§ VISCOUNT PEELMy Lords, my noble friend has asked me to reply to the Question put by the noble Earl. This matter was referred by the War Cabinet to a subcommittee of Ministers Who reported generally in favour of the proposals of Mr. Acland's Committee, and their Report has been accepted by His Majesty's Government.
§ THE EARL OF SELBORNEHear, hear.
§ VISCOUNT PEELIt would, of course, be impossible, within the limits of a Question only recently put down, to give the noble Earl full information on the subject, or upon the full details of the Report of the Committee; but I think I can state generally that a central authority for afforestation for the United Kingdom will be set up, and a policy of planting will be pursued with the least possible delay.
§ THE EARL OF SELBORNEHear, hear.
§ VISCOUNT PEELWith reference to the noble Earl's Question regarding the collecting of seed, I understand that there are at present many millions of trees—certainly a very large number—in the State nurseries which might be made use of, and I am informed that the seed will now be collected.
§ THE EARL OF SELBORNEBut it is a very urgent problem.
§ VISCOUNT PEELI will call the Government's attention to these two points.
§ THE EARL OF SELBORNEIf my noble friend will ask Mr. Acland. who presided over the Forestry Sub-Committee, he will explain the matter to him. All these seedlings are a very small proportion of what will be wanted, and Mr. Acland will tell my noble friend why the problem is so extremely urgent. Lord Lovat will also tell him the same.
§ [From Minutes of August 7.]