§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the various broadleaved assistance schemes in reversing the decline of deciduous woodlands.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 20 June 1986, c. 670]: The Forestry Commission introduced a broadleaved woodland grant scheme on 1 October 1985 which offers significantly higher rates of grants for the use of broadleaved species on their own. This scheme has had an encouraging start, with over 1,800 applicationss being received in the first six months covering nearly 11,400 hectares of existing broadleaved woodland and land proposed for planting with broadleaves.
In the year ended 31 March 1986, the Forestry Commission grant-aided some 850 hectares of new 22W broadleaved planting under its various schemes, including 46 hectares under the broadleaved woodland grant scheme: this represented a total increase in new broadleaved planting of some 42 per cent. over the previous year. This figure is expected to be significantly higher in succeeding years as planting under the broadleaved woodland grant scheme gets into its stride.
§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report Her Majesty's Government's conservation and landscape strategy in relation to forestry and woodlands.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 20 June 1986, c. 670]: Landscape and conservation policies and strategies for forestry and woodlands have been drawn up by the Forestry Commission and published in the following papers: Policy and Procedure Paper No. 3 — The 23W Forestry Commission and Landscape Design; Policy and Procedure Paper No. 4—The Forestry Commission and Conservation.
The Government's policy for broadleaved woodlands was set out in the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Mr. Younger) on 24 July 1985, in columns 557 to 561 and further information has been given in the following Forestry Commission publications: Policy and Procedure Paper No. 5 — The Policy for Broadleaved Woodlands; Guidelines for the Management of Broadleaved Woodlands. Copies of all these publications are available in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to meet the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss alternative methods in controlling forestry planting.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 20 June 1986, c. 670]: My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to meet the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on this subject.
§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make an integrated approach to agriculture and forestry in the uplands and lowlands of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 20 June 1986, c. 670]: An integrated approach to agriculture and forestry developments is sought through the consultations which take place between the Forestry Commission and the Agriculture Departments over applications for grant aid for afforestation proposals. This continues to be our policy.
§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will take steps to require private forestry companies to include recreational provision in any large scale planting scheme which benefits from forestry planting grants.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 20 June 1986, c. 670]: Applicants for grant under the Forestry Commission's forestry grant scheme and broadleaved woodland grant scheme are already required to accept as an objective that they should provide such opportunities for recreation, including provision for public access, as may be appropriate. Applicants are also required to accept as a specific condition of these schemes that they will enter into discussions, if requested by the local authority, with a view where appropriate to negotiating an agreement for public access; this condition does not, however, bind the applicant to entering into any such agreement.