§ 2.38 p.m.
§ Lord TAYLOR of GRYFEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the annual planting targets for the Forestry Commission since 1972 and the acreage actually planted in each of these years.
The MINISTER of STATE, MINISTRY of AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES and FOOD (Earl Ferrers)My Lords, in 1972 the Forestry Commission were asked to plan for a combined planting and restocking programme of up to 55,000 acres per annum and this has remained unchanged. The areas actually planted and restocked are as follows: 396
Year ended 31st March Acres 1973 57,200 1974 53,700 1975 57,200 1976 50,700 1977 46,200 1978 42,500 1979 38,100
§ Lord TAYLOR of GRYFEMy Lords, while thanking the Minister for that interesting reply, may I ask whether he will accept that this represents an alarming trend, keeping in mind the need of this country to make the best use of its natural resources, and keeping in mind also the fact that we import 90 per cent. of our entire timber requirements at a cost of £2 billion per annum in the balance of payments?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, I agree that this is a very serious decline which we would wish to see not take place.
§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy Lords, can the noble Earl explain why there has been this decline?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, there was another Government in charge for the last four or five years and I think that they might have borne some responsibility.
§ Lord PEARTMy Lords, the noble Lord cannot blame the previous Administration. In fact, when I was Minister of Agriculture I always encouraged forestry, sometimes before farming.
§ Lord TAYLOR of GRYFEMy Lords, will the Minister accept that one of the difficulties at the moment is the intervention of environmental bodies between the planning authorities which frustrates and delays the forestry planting which is so necessary?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, I know there are a number of environmental considerations which arise whenever new planting is to be done, but I am sure the noble Lord will accept that when a number of interests have to be consulted 397 it is necessary to go through the process of consultation with those bodies.
§ Baroness SHARPLESMy Lords, can my noble friend the Minister please tell us whether the dangers of beech-bark disease and sycamore sooty-bark disease are being taken into account when replanting takes place?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, if my noble friend would be kind enough to give me advance warning of those two specific diseases I will see that the matter is looked into and I will give her a reply.
§ Lord DULVERTONMy Lords, is my noble friend able to give the House the figures for planting by the private foresters over the same period as those covered by the Question; that is, from 1972 until the present time?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, the figures for private planting are as follows:—
Acres 1972 59,300 1973 58,700 1974 56,300 1975 52,700 1976 30,200 1977 22,600 1978 20,500 1979 26,700
§ Lord DULVERTONMy Lords, bearing in mind the widely accepted fact that past Government actions have been mainly responsible for this very serious fall-off in private planting, can my noble friend assure the House that the present Government will take steps to restore the confidence and thus also to regenerate a high level of activitity in the private sector of forestry?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, I think there is no doubt that the introduction of capital transfer tax and the problems which that brought with it accounted largely for the drop in private planting, but I am happy to tell my noble friend that applications for entry to the Basis III Dedication Scheme have risen sharply over the past year.
§ Lord MACKIE of BENSHIEMy Lords, will the noble Earl the Minister not agree that the previous question was 398 a very good example of "planting"; and, further, will he not agree that the future of obtaining land, which is the main trouble in planting, depends upon some form of Government support for cooperation between agriculture and forestry on the hill lands of our country?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, with regard to the first question, I can assure my noble friend that there was no "planting" if the planting was supposed to have come from me; my noble friend has the capacity to ask his own questions. I entirely agree that there is a requirement for forestry and agriculture considerations to be met together, and that is the reason for the answer I gave to the noble Lord, Lord Taylor. I would assure the noble Lord, Lord Mackie, that the Government are considering the situation with the new chairman of the Forestry Commission, and, taking all these matters into account, will make a Statement when appropriate.
§ Lord LEATHERLANDMy Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether he can persuade the proper authorities to plant more of these trees along the streets of London, thus enhancing the appearance of some of our streets?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, that is an interesting suggestion, but I do not think it falls within the remit of the Forestry Commission.