§ Baroness Jegerasked Her Majesty's Government:
What area of Forestry Commission land has been sold since the passing of the Forestry Act 1981; what have been the proceeds of the sales; and to what purpose has the income been directed.
§ The Minister of State, Scottish Office (The Earl of Mansfield)Sales of 634 hectares of woodland and plantable land have been completed since the passing of the Forestry Act 1981, realising a total sum of £474,336. In addition, a number of residential and other properties have been sold which could have been disposed of under the more limited powers which existed before the Act came into force.
The sums received from all these disposals have been paid into the Forestry Fund in accordance with Section 42(4) of the Forestry Act 1967, and in due course will be transferred to the Consolidated Fund under the terms of Section 41 of that Act, as amended by Section 3 of the Forestry Act 1981, and accounted for as extra receipts on the Forestry Commission Vote. This will have the effect of reducing the Commission's call on the Exchequer for the management of its forestry enterprise.