Earl of Dalkeithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of implementing the transport subsidy for the haulage of windblow timber.
§ Mr. RossThe Forestry Commission estimates that the cost to the Exchequer will be of the order of£300,000.
Earl of Dalkeithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the total 40 million hoppus feet of windblow timber he estimates to be of mill size.
Earl of Dalkeithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Forestry Commission consulted the Windblow Action Group and secured its agreement before announcing details of the transport subsidy for the haulage of windblow timber.
§ Mr. RossThe recommendations of the Windblow Action Group were taken into account by the Forestry Commission, which was represented on the Group, before the details of the transport allowance were announced.
Earl of Dalkeithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria were adopted in selecting the counties that would qualify for the transport subsidy on windblown timber; how many affected counties have been omitted; and for what reasons.
§ Mr. RossThe criteria were the severity of the windblow and the capacity40W of the local markets to cope with it. Six counties affected were omitted, but the list of qualifying counties is not rigidly limited. If the Forestry Commission receives claims for the transport allowance from adjoining counties it will consider them on their merits.
Earl of Dalkeithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is satisfied that the timber trade in the north of Scotland will be able to handle the volume of mill-size timber that will be sent there rather than to the south of Scotland as a result of the differential transport subsidy on windblown timber; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RossThe higher rate of the transport allowance for timber going to the north is to encourage an even distribution of the windblown timber in relation to sawmill capacity in the country as a whole. I am sure that the timber trade in the north, and elsewhere, can be relied on not to buy more timber than it can process.
Earl of Dalkeithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the transport subsidy for windblow timber has been limited to mill-size timber.
§ Mr. RossThe transport allowance has been limited to mill-size timber because it is hoped that small round-wood will in general continue to be sold to its normal markets.