§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 8 March,Official Report, column 148, if he will list the names, locations and areas of all of the grant scheme applications which were referred by regional advisory committees to the forestry commissioners in the four years to 31 March 1987; and if he will list in each case (a) whether the commissioners gave approval for forestry grant aid, (b) the area of land approved and (c) the consultee sustaining an objection to the application.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 18 July 1988]: The information is set out in the following table.
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Area of Original Application Name County/Region Gross Area Area Approved by Refused by Area Objectors (Hectares) Proposed for Planting (Hectares) Commissioners Commissioners Approved for Planting (Hectares) Kinnell Block 1 Central 378 378 Refused Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland Nether Glenny Central 261.8 255 Refused Stirling District Council Lake of Menteith Fisheries Board Shielbrae Farm Central 456 444 Approved 444 Central Regional Council Department of Water and Drainage Creag Meagaidh Highland 1,114 900 Approved 530 Nature Conservancy Council Backmoor Wood Strathclyde 56.2 53.6 Refused Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland Barachander Strathclyde 830 672 Refused Strathclyde Regional Council Water Department Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland Barachander Strathclyde 830 670 Refused Strathclyde Regional Council Water Department (Re-submission) Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland Coulter Allers Strathclyde 19.1 19.1 Refused Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland Loch Mor Strathclyde 348 267 Approved 267 Strathclyde Regional Council Water Department Argyll and Bute District Council Narachan Hill Strathclyde 988 920 Approved 920 Strathclyde Regional Council Water Department North Tarsan Strathclyde 96 95 Approved 95 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland Wardlaws Farm Strathclyde 32.4 32.4 Refused Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland Balquhandy and Skymore Hill Tayside 191.5 179.6 Approved 179.6 Perth and Kinross District Council Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland Glen Lochay Tayside 207 186 Refused Nature Conservancy Council Stirling District Council Central Regional Council
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications for forestry grants were referred to the regional advisory committee for each Forestry Commission conservancy in the year to 31 March; how many were resolved by voluntary withdrawal
Conservancy Number of applications referred to Regional Advisory Committees Number of applications resolved by voluntary withdrawal or amendment of application Number of applications referred by Regional Advisory Committees to Forestry Commissioners Applications approved Applications refused Applications still under consideration North England 3 — — 1 2 East England — — — — — West England — — — — — Wales 5 — 1 2 2 North Scotland 24 5 4 1 14 Mid Scotland 8 2 5 — 1 South Scotland 3 2 — — 1 Totals 43 9 10 4 20
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what species of birds will be displaced by the afforestation of 1,029 hectares of land recently approved for planting in Caithness and Sutherlnd; whether any of those species are listed in annex I of the European Community directive, 79/409/EEC, on the conservation of wild birds; and what advice he received from the Nature Conservancy Council with regard to the afforestation of this land.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 26 July 1988]: The birds most likely to be displaced on the 1,059 hectares recently cleared for planting by my right hon. and learned Friend are common moorland species such as skylarks, meadow pipits and curlews. As far as is known, the only species of bird listed in annex I of the European Community directive 79/409/EEC which will be affected is
462Wor amendment; how many were referred to the forestry commissioners; and how many of those were awarded grant approval by the forestry commissoners.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 18 July 1988]: The information is contained in the following table for the year ended 31 March 1988:
golden plover. The numbers of golden plover are relatively low in the areas to be planted and more abundant on the 1,426 hectares to be left unplanted as a result of my right hon. and learned Friend's decision. The Nature Conservancy Council's advice was that all the land should be left unplanted because of its ecological importance.
In reaching his decision my right hon. and learned Friend gave careful consideration to the council's advice and to the implications for employment, in accordance with his interim views on the balance between nature conservation and forestry in Caithness and Sutherland as set out in his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro) on 25 January 1988, at columns 71–73.