Storm Damage to Woodlands (Hansard, 22 October 1987)

Lord Chelwood
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Trumpington)
My Lords, perhaps I may immediately offer sympathy to those who have suffered loss as a result of the recent storm.
The immediate efforts of Forestry Commission staff are being devoted to emergency action to clear roads and forest accesses and to assist in the restoration of essential services. The commission will he arranging for the aerial surveying of forests, both its own and privately owned, in order to arrive at an assessment of the extent of the damage. The spread of the damage is such, however, that it is likely to be several weeks before a full picture of the damage emerges. Experience of major storm damage of this kind in the past has shown that it has been possible, over a period of time, to market the timber in an orderly fashion. We will of course give consideration to the best ways in which we might assist woodland owners.

Lord Chelwood
My Lords, I think it would be right for me to declare an interest in this matter in so far as I own about 100 acres of woodland in Sussex which caught the full blast of the hurricane. May I thank my noble friend very much indeed for that somewhat reassuring reply? If the Government's view proves over-optimistic about the disposal of fallen timber and the market is unable to absorb it, will my noble friend at any rate say that they will not rule out the suggestion made in the last two lines of my Question? May I also ask my noble friend whether there is further action which the Government are contemplating?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, my noble friend Lord Belstead yesterday referred to the setting up of a forest windblow action group. This has three main aims: to co-ordinate the assessment of the scale of woodland damage; to advise woodland owners on marketing strategy and the timescale for dealing with blown timber; and to provide information on harvesting resources and marketing opportunities. Both the British Timber Merchants Association and Timber Growers UK will be represented on the group.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, may I ask the Minister, in addition to what she has already said, whether it would be possible for the Government to have discussions with Kew Gardens and similar institutions which have suffered dramatically because of the storm to ascertain in which way they may be helped to recover some of the treasures which they feel are now in danger?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I had the great good fortune to visit Kew yesterday. The time for tears among the staff is over and I found a most encouraging and exhilarating atmosphere in getting on with the job of returning Kew to as normal a condition as possible. Due to the amount of seedling banks and its programmes for the future, Kew will he able to replace the trees, although not the historical associations of many trees. I should like to add that when casual visitors—not the professionals, who know and who have loved these trees—visit Kew in, I hope, the near future, they will find the gardens as beautiful as ever.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness on what she has proposed.

§ Lord Elton
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that those of us who have already looked at some of the Royal Parks and palace property are much impressed by the way the staffs have tackled the job and wish them every success in the formidable task facing them?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for his remarks. I hope that various publications will pick up the comments so that those who have been working so hard can read them.

§ Lord John-Mackie
My Lords, with respect to the noble Lord's Question, I think that the Forestry Commission has the business in hand fairly well, although it is worth reminding the commission that we expect it to do its best.

Noble Lords
Question!

§ Lord John-Mackie
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that it is single trees in gardens here and there that are likely to be sold too cheaply? The price of wood today, particularly firewood, is very good. Owners should not be taken in by cowboys. We need publicity in that respect too.
Is the noble Baroness further aware that it would be wise for many people to read a letter published in the Independent yesterday from Sir William Gladstone of Fasque in that region called Scotland. He points out that in the 1703 gale his ancestors winched the trees upright again and they lasted for 100 years?

A noble Lord
He was very lucky, my Lords.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, on the first part of the noble Lord's question, I understand that there should be no great difficulty for those people wishing to sell conifers. It is of course most unusual for such quantities of broad leaved trees to be available. Recognising this fact and the extent of the damage to broad leaved woodlands, the action group set up by the Forestry Commission will be making a special effort to identify markets, including export markets, and I urge people not to panic and accept the first offer that is made. Thereby they will avoid the cowboys. I totally accept what the noble Lord says.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords—

§ The Earl of Onslow
My Lords, I do not wish to intervene between two brothers, but I also have an interest to declare. Where I live was in the eye of the hurricane and I have an avenue of trees that have been blown absolutely flat. Is there any help for what are basically privately owned parkland trees which were occupying space of, I suspect, no economic value whatever but were of aesthetic value to everyone? The trees are of no great timber value because they have branched out and are merely beautiful trees. They are difficult to sell and will be extremely expensive to remove. Is my noble friend equally aware that it will take a great deal longer than six months to put matters right and that we are talking about a minimum five-year clearing up and planting period?

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I realise that there will be a time-lag in getting total replanting completed. On the first part of my noble friend's question, the position is a little difficult, but as regards trees in urban areas the Forestry Commission is co-operating closely with the Countryside Commission and will be helping out with technical advice and instruction. In regard to parkland trees, not heavily wooded areas, I suggest that trees have fallen down in storms in the past and people have had to cope and have made arrangements accordingly.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that she has not answered the Question put by the noble Lord, Lord Chelwood? Are the Government prepared to take further measures to help the commercial woodlands? My recollection is that in the 1953 gale in Aberdeenshire in the North-East of Scotland, the only storm equivalent to this, the Government contributed to the disaster fund. No amount of marketing advice will help or make up for the loss suffered by owners of commercial woodlands which have been blown down or where the tops have been blown off trees. In the case of a disaster of this sort it is normal for the Government to help private commercial ventures which have suffered loss through no fault of their own.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, there is no regular precedent for special assistance for major storm damage. It is early days and the first priority is to establish the scale and nature of the damage. We shall then consider the best ways in which we might assist woodland owners. However, parallels cannot necessarily be drawn with the past. We gave some special compensation in 1985 but that was a totally different matter and nothing to do with woodlands. It concerned livestock following a bad summer and prolonged difficulties with winter feed as a result. There is no regular pattern which one can establish.

§ Baroness Robson of Kiddington
My Lords, does not the Minister agree that the question put by the noble Lord, Lord John-Mackie, is appropriate? In her reply she said that she hoped the owners of private property would not sell to the first cowboy that comes along. Only this morning I heard of a 240 private property owner who had an enormous walnut tree come down. The cowboys arrived and the tree has been cut up. That is an enormous loss not only to the owner but to the nation. We do not grow many walnut trees. I hope that the Minister will agree to use radio and television to warn private property owners against the cowboys.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness for her remarks. Perhaps I should also have declared an interest. I lost my apple tree, which means that I can no longer pretend to be Eve but I can still claim to be Adam's mother.