The New National Forest (Hansard, 27 April 1993)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Strathclyde)
My Lords, the Countryside Commission recently submitted a business plan and draft forest strategy drawn up by the local project team. Currently Ministers and officials are giving these detailed consideration.

§ Lord Marlesford
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. However, does he agree that when the new national forest was originally announced by Mr. Patten as Secretary of State, and when it was endorsed by Mr. Heseltine as Secretary of State, it generated considerable expectations, not least in your Lordships' House? Does he also agree that the enthusiasm, especially of local authorities, for the landscape, recreational and particularly economic regeneration of that part of England is considerable and that it is most important that that should not be allowed to wilt? Therefore, would my noble friend like to give an enthusiastic endorsement of the project, as did previous Secretaries of State?

§ Lord Strathclyde
My Lords, I am delighted to be enthusiastic about the project. It is a very imaginative scheme and one which will help to increase the forestry cover of the United Kingdom, particularly in an area which is not well served by trees. It will give a great deal of opportunity for access and recreation in the countryside. I hope that enthusiasm for the scheme will not be lost. We are very keen on it, but it is a very complex issue and one which we must get right.

§ Lord Taylor of Gryfe
My Lords, in view of his enthusiasm for this new aspect of forestry, can the Minister say whether he would share similar enthusiasm for the much more important area of the development of the nation's woodlands? The contribution of the national forest park, to which reference has been made, is minimal in the total picture of the decline of forestry in this country, which is very substantial.

§ Lord Strathclyde
My Lords, I am equally enthusiastic about the role of forestry throughout the country. The noble Lord will know that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland recently made an announcement on the review of forestry.

The Earl of Bessborough
My Lords, is my noble friend and the Government aware that the International Tree Foundation (of which His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is patron and in which I declare an interest as president) has planted trees in the new national forest? Therefore, should not the Government perhaps match a one-for-one tree planting grant which would encourage nongovernmental organisations to co-operate?

§ Lord Strathclyde
My Lords, I am delighted with the work of the International Tree Foundation. I can tell my noble friend that over 350,000 trees have already been planted. As to the question of the one-for-one support, that is an issue that we are very carefully considering.

§ Baroness Nicol
My Lords, can the Minister reassure the House about a planning aspect of the new community forest? I understand that the tree planting is not going quite as quickly as we had hoped at the beginning. Therefore, can he reassure us that the buildings which might have been built as part of the community forest will not go ahead on their own and become an excuse for putting buildings where, normally, we would not have had them? Can the Minister say whether they will in fact keep pace with the planting of the trees?

§ Lord Strathclyde
My Lords, that is clearly, and quite properly, something for the local planning authority to decide.

§ Lord Renton
My Lords, can my noble friend give an assurance that, when the forest is planted for environmental, traditional reasons and to attract the widest variety of wildlife, there will be a preponderance of hardwood and broadleaved trees rather than conifers which are untraditional, in England at any rate, and which happen to attract a large proportion of vermin?

§ Lord Strathclyde
My Lords, I do not share my noble friend's antagonism towards the conifer which can be a very appropriate tree in many parts of the United Kingdom. However, I can totally endorse the fact that the national forest is very much about planting broadleaved, native species and improving the quality of our environment.