Tree Replanting: Assistance (Hansard, 24 June 1988)

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, we have provided a substantial programme of assistance to all types of landowners, in which the major element is special financial assistance for replacement planting from the Forestry Commission, the Countryside Commission, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's storm damage recovery scheme.

§ Baroness Elliot of Harwood
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply and I also congratulate the Government on their admirable policy for dealing with the effects of the devastating storm. Is the Minister certain that all the people who were affected by that disaster are aware of the help they can receive in dealing with repairs?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, in March my right honourable friend the Secretary of State launched an action pack prepared by Task Force Trees containing valuable advice for small landowners, householders and others, on tree care and planting. Owners of larger areas of forest will probably go to the Forestry Commission for advice.

§ Lord Jenkins of Hillhead
My Lords, is it not the case that government help has been almost entirely directed towards replanting? There is a prior need for clearing up the damage on the ground. Many people, in the absence of assistance, have been unable to afford to do that.

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, the introduction on 7th June of the extra financial aid for planting makes it easier to look at all of the costs. Levels of assistance from the Forestry Commission are already high and this extra level will assist forestry owners in achieving both clearance and replanting.

§ Lord St. John of Fawsley
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the royal parks have lost more than 5,000 trees and that the Prince of Wales appeal has raised £100,000 which will replace one-fifth of those trees? Will my noble friend say that the Government will supplement the clearing up grant with a matching replanting grant so that those parks, which mean so much to the nation, can soon recover their former beauty?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, the department will do its best to ensure that the royal parks return to their former glory. However, it will take a considerable period of time.

§ Lord John-Mackie
My Lords, the Minister has emphasised how well the Forestry Commission and the committees which have been formed are dealing with the problem. The noble Earl, Lord Stockton, who is not present in the Chamber, and other woodland owners have said that despite Forestry Commission grants the clearing up expenses are very high, and some help in that matter would encourage people to get on with the job.

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, the general principle must be that clearance is the responsibility of the individual owner.

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, will the Minister turn his attention for a moment to the problems of local authorities? Does he agree that those problems are of two kinds? First, there is the cost of clearing up on local authority land and how that will be met, particularly by authorities which have been rate-capped; and, secondly, there is the question of how to minimise the damage from any future disaster. Does the Minister agree that the privatisation programme makes it more difficult for local authorities to co-ordinate their emergency services on such occasions?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I cannot agree with the last point which the noble Lord, Lord McIntosh, made. The ratepayers have benefited from the assistance local authorities have received with costs under the Bellwin scheme, and the recent announcement of the restocking supplement recognises the additional costs faced by owners and local authorities.

§ Lord Jenkins of Hillhead
My Lords, why must the responsibility for clearing up obviously rest with the individual owner, as the Minister has just said, whereas there can be assistance with replanting? That is by no means a self-evident proposition.

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, as I said earlier, the general principle must be that the owners of property should be able to look after it.

§ Lord Kinnaird
My Lords, it is all very well to say that that must be so. However, many of them do not have the money. It is all very well for royal parks. What about the wretched private owner with no royal park to rely on?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, in answer to my noble friend I must point out again the increased grant which the Forestry Commission will provide to help with replanting. Trees are blown over and replanted; that is all part of a cycle. We have contributed an extra £3½ million.

§ Lord Kinnaird
My Lords, we cannot replant until trees are cleared away.

§ Lord Kilbracken
My Lords, can the noble Lord say whether any decision has been made on the proposals to give transport grants for taking the timber to markets in the north and west of the country?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, a transport subsidy would not be justified for two reasons. Its effect would be to reduce the extent of the loss against which a landowner could be insured. That is not the job of the Government. Secondly, the fact that prices naturally fall in a glut makes it more economic for purchasers to transport over longer distances. There is evidence that good-quality timber from the South-East of England is finding a ready market as far afield as the Grampian region.

§ Lord John-Mackie
My Lords, the Minister seemed to indicate that the cutting down and clearing of trees and restocking is all one operation. That is true in a regular forestry operation. However, blown timber is much more expensive to clear than clear felling.

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I can only repeat what I said earlier. There is a principle involved; you either agree with it or you disagree with it.