HC Deb 31 July 1972 vol 842 cc3-4W
Mr. Hooson

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will undertake a review of forestry policy and agricultural policy in Wales, especially in relation to tax and death duty concessions and publish the findings.

Mr. Peter Thomas

The Welsh implications of forestry and agricultural policy are taken fully into account when decisions are made jointly by Ministers and I do not consider it necessary to undertake a review of policy in Wales alone. As the hon. and learned Member will know, a consultative document on future forestry policy in Great Britain was published on 28th June. This states that the Government have no proposals for the present for changes in the tax arrangements for forestry.

Mr. Hooson

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total amount paid out in the last five financial years in, respectively, grants in aid to the Forestry Commission, grants in aid channelled through the Forestry Commission to private woodland owners, and the total of tax concessions to private woodland owners over the same period.

Mr. Peter Thomas

From 1st October, 1966 to 31st March, 1972 grants in aid of the Forestry Commission's forestry enterprise in Great Britain as a whole totalled £66.9 million. Grants paid by the Commission to private woodland owners in the same period totalled £9.1 million.

The information on which to base estimates of tax concessions to private woodland owners is not available.

Mr. Hooson

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the acreage of land in Wales purchased for private woodland development during the course of the past 20 years.

Mr. Peter Thomas

Detailed statistics of land acquired for private afforestation are not available but from October, 1953, to March, 1972, about 72,000 acres of land in Wales was brought within the scope of the Commission's grant schemes for management but it is not possible readily to say how much of this was land for new planting—that is, new "development"—or how much was old woodland. In the same period about 56,000 acres were planted or replanted in Wales by private owners.