§ Mr. PARKERasked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, what was the average number of workers employed in the past year and what is the present number of workers' holdings attached to the forests in Ross-shire, Inverness-shire, Argyll, and Sutherland, respectively?
§ Sir G. COURTHOPEThe figures are as follow:
568W
— Average number of workers employed in past year. Number of workers' holdings. Rose-shire 66 23 Inverness-shire 209 50 Argyll 291 92 Sutherland 9 2
§ Mr. PARKERasked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, what is the total acreage owned by the Forestry Commission, the total plantable acreage, and the total area planted or replanted to date, in Ross-shire, Inverness-shire, Argyll, and Sutherland, respectively?
§ Sir G. COURTHOPEThe acreages are as follow:
Total. Plantable. Planted. Ross-shire 41,169 17,631 10,547 Inverness-shire 89,510 34,370 19,067 Argyll 154,931 54,872 21,900 Sutherland 9,426 3,266 2,417
§ Mr. PARKERasked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, whether a co-operative marketing scheme for the forest workers' holdings at Thetford Chase is still in existence; and, if so, whether it is a success?
§ Sir G. COURTHOPEThere is no co-operative marketing scheme for the forest workers' holdings at Thetford Chase in existence.
§ Mr. PARKERasked the hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, whether thinning has started on any estates planted since 1919; and, if so, what were the number of days labour per 100 acres before and after thinning began in those areas?
§ Sir G. COURTHOPESmall areas planted since 1919 have been thinned. The work has been included in normal time work operations and, until thinning becomes extensive, no useful analysis of the labour involved is possible.