§ Mr. Cockeramasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now announce the result of his consideration of the Public Accounts Committee's recommendation that the Forestry Commission should disclose the sums received after selling public land.
§ Mr. YoungerThe recommendation by the Committee of Public Accounts at paragraph 17(vi) of its Eighteenth Report, HC265, 1983–84, was that the Forestry Commission "should publish the selling price of publicly-owned land when sold and a full explanation of their sales policy and practice".
That explanation of sales policy and practice was provided by the Commission in its annual report for the year to 31 March 1984, which was laid before the House on 28 November 1984.
The Government have given long and careful consideration to the allied question of whether the Commission should publish the prices it receives from its sales. We are satisfied, however, that the Commission is not selling off its assets cheaply and that the rules of public accountability are not being breached either in the Commission's sales policy or in its individual sales. We do not feel justified, therefore, in requiring the Commission to depart unilaterally from normal commercial practice, which applies throughout the Government sector as well as in private transactions, by publishing prices received from sales of forestry properties.