§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of Scotland what were the tree species used and proportions of those species planted by the Forestry Commission in its restocking programme in the periods 1961 to 1970, 1971 to 1980 and 1981 to 1985.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe main species used in the Commission's restocking programmes in these periods in these periods were Sitka spruce, larches, Douglas fir and Corsican pine on coniferous sites, and oak, beech, birch, ash and sycamore on broadleaved woodland. A further breakdown is not available in the form requested as detailed records on restocking were not kept prior to 1974–75, and information for the year ended 31 March 1985 is not yet to hand. Details of the species used in the years ended 31 March 1975 to 31 March 1984 were provided in my reply of 16 April, in column 97, to a question from the hon. Member of East Lothian, (Mr. Home Robertson).
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of Scotland what was the Foresty Commission's forestry enterprise expenditure for each of the last five years on(a) recreation and amenity, (b) wildlife conservation and (c) landscape conservation.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe Forestry Commission's gross expenditure on these items, including oncost and overheads, was as follows:
Year ended 31 March Recreation and Amenity £ Wildlife Conservation £ Landscape Conservation £ 1980 3,013,000 459,000 581,000 1981 2,805,000 423,000 775,000 1982 3,022,000 550,000 627,000 1983 3,122,000 605,000 731,000 1984 3,614,000 559,000 867,000
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of Scotland if he will list theOfficial Report the number of sites, their names and their sizes, which comprise the 444 hectares of land estimated to be planted without grant-aid in 1983–84 given in the Forestry Commission's 64th annual report.
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§ Mr. John MacKayThis figure is made up from a large number of local estimates of small areas of plantings, and I regret that it is not possible to produce a comprehensive list.
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of Scotland what action he will take to ensure that there is no repetition of the recent case at Crichness Farm in East Lothian where private afforestation was carried out despite refusal of grant-aid on landscape and agricultural grounds.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe planting at Crichness took place while a grant application was still under consideration by the Forestry Commission in consultation with other authorities. Although it is possible that the planting of the area concerned would eventually have been approved for grant aid, the Forestry Commission takes a serious view, which my right hon. Friend shares of the applicant's failure to await the outcome of the consultation exercise. Nevertheless, this is the first significant case of its type since the present procedures were introduced in October 1974, and my right hon. Friend does not propose to take any action at this stage. The Forestry Commission has had discussions with Timber Growers UK aimed at ensuring that the consultation procedures continue to operate effectively.
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the cases in the last 10 years when afforestation has taken place on sites where forestry grants have been refused by the Forestry Commission.
§ Mr. John MacKayI am not aware of any such cases.
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will ask the Forestry Commission to publish guidelines to assist the private sector in introducing good management practice for new afforestation schemes, taking into account wildlife and landscape conservation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe Forestry Commission has published a number of guides to good forestry practice. A complete list of these is available to private woodland owners from Her Majesty's Stationery Office (Sectional List No. 31).
Timber Growers UK is preparing a code of practice for private growers in consultation with the Forestry 445W Commission, the two Countryside Commissions, the Nature Conservancy Council and a number of other interested Government and non-Government bodies.
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations there are between the Forestry Commission and the regional water authorities in England and Wales and the river purification boards in Scotland, over proposals for new upland afforestation either by the Forestry Commission or by private forestry operations.
§ Mr. John MacKayAs far as its own operations are concerned, the Forestry Commission has informal arrangements for consulting water authorities over proposed afforestation schemes within the immediate catchments of reservoirs.
In considering applications by private owners for grant aid for planting, the commission consults the Welsh water authority on all schemes in areas in which the authority has asked that this be done. In other parts of Wales and in
Year Region Forest Block Area (hectares) 1978 Highland Naver Rimsdale 640 Strathy 240 Achruggan 590 Truderscaig 770 Rossal 680 Syre 420 Creag Dhu Chicken Dhu and Barren Ridge 140 Helmsdale Auchentoul 150 Badenloch 100 Suisgill 410 Shin Fiag 140 Rumster Watten 30 Private Woodlands Borrobol 140 Auchentoul 250 1979 Highland Naver Strathy 236 Shin North Dalchork 552 Caplich 107 Inveroykel 371 Torrachilty Garbat and Strathrannoch 996 Grampian Craigellachie Elchies 770 Dumfries and Galloway Bareagle Annabaglish 220 1980 Highland Naver Truderscaig 166 Rossal 125 Syre 420 Chicken Dhu and Barren Ridge 78 Mudale 20 Poles 102 Garvel 20 Grumbeg 20 Cnoc Dubh 13 Dumfries and Galloway Bareagle Annabaglish 220 North Annabaglish 37 1981 Highland Helmsdale Badenloch 66 1982 No Spraying took place 1983 Borders Private Woodland Myredykes 340 Grampian Craigellachie Elchies 142 1984 Grampian Craigellachie Elchies 142 For experimental purposes only The areas of Strathy, Truderscaig, Rossal, Syre Chicken Dhu and Barren Ridge in Naver Forest, 446W England, the commission looks to the local authorities to take account of the water interest when considering private planting proposals, as part of their general planning overview.
The river purification boards in Scotland are not consulted directly by the commission either in respect of its own or private planting proposals.
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names, locations and areas of forest sprayed with the insecticide fenitrothion in each of the years 1978 to 1984, indicating which areas were sprayed more than once in this period, and indicating whether any of these areas are within the Forestry Commission's recently announced proposals for fenitrothion spraying in 1985.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe forest areas sprayed with the insecticide fenitrothion in the years 1978 to 1984 are as follows:
Annabaglish in Bareagle Forest, Badenloch in Helmsdale Forest and Elchies in Craigellachie Forest were sprayed in more than one year.
447WThe 1985 programme of spraying will not be finally drawn up until assessments of the numbers of eggs of pine beauty moth are carried out in May, but it is likely to include the previously sprayed areas of Truderscaig, Rossal and Cnoc Dubh in Naver Forest, Watten in Rumster Forest, North Dalchork and Inveroykel in Shin Forest and Garbat and Strathrannoch in Torrachilty Forest.
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total staff complement of the Forestry Commission in the years 1961, 1971, 1981 and 1984, respectively.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe figures were as follows:
Year Number of Staff in Post 1961 14,581 1971 9,515 1981 7,952 1984 6,836
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals the Forestry Commission has for the revision of the native pinewood grant scheme in the light of the changes proposed for broadleaved woodland grants under the "Broadleaves in Britain Review".
§ Mr. John MacKayThe Forestry Commission has no plans to revise the grant arrangements for native pinewoods in the context of the present review of broadleaves policy. It does, however, intend to review the provisions for native pinewood grants, in conjunction with the Nature Conservancy Council, once the broadleaves review has been completed.
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the estimated number of people employed directly in forestry operations by the private sector forestry companies in the years 1961, 1971, 1981 and 1984.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe information is not available in the form requested. Estimates of the numbers employed on forestry operations in private forests as a whole, including employees of the forestry companies, are as follows:
Number 1961 9,400 1971 9,300 1981 8,000 1983 8,000 Estimates for 1984 are not yet available.
§ Mr. David Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dwellings were owned by the Forestry Commission in 1981 and 1984; and how many of these were (a) occupied by Forestry Commission employees, (b) occupied by other tenants and (c) unoccupied in each year.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe best available information is as follows:
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As at 31 March 1981 As at 31 March 1984 (i) Total number of houses managed by the Forestry Commission (categories (ii) and (iii) below 3,909 2,891
As at 31 March 1981 As at 31 March 1984 (ii) Number of Foresters' and Forest Workers' houses 2,320 1,597 (iii) Other houses 1,589 1,294 (iv) Total number of unoccupied houses (mainly awaiting sale) 279 260 Because of the turnover in tenancies and the large number of sales that have taken place, it is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to split the total number of unoccupied houses between categories (ii) and (iii) in order to obtain the precise numbers of houses occupied in each of these categories on 31 March in each year.