§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list(a) the name, (b) grid reference, (c) area, (d) date of sale and (e) whether formal public access agreements have been established, for each piece of land sold by the Forestry Commission since 1981.
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§ Sir Hector MonroLists giving details of the areas of forest land sold by the Forestry Commission from the start of the disposals programme in July 1981 to December 1992 are held in the Library of the House. A list of the forest land sold by the commission in 1993 will be drawn up and placed in the Library in the new year.
These lists do not show grid references which could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Arrangements for securing continued public access to Forestry Commission woodlands after sale, by way of prior agreements entered into between the commission and local authorities, were introduced in October 1991. Most of the sales concluded since then were too far advanced in October 1991 to be considered for an access agreement, while most of the areas brought forward for disposal since that date have still to be sold. At the last count, access agreements had been concluded or were being negotiated in respect of 42 woodlands which were in the process of being sold, although none of these has yet been sold. Local authorities have expressed interest in negotiating agreements in over 40 other areas.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what areas of Forestry Commission land have been offered to conservation bodies.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 29 November 1993]: At the stage when the Forestry Commission is considering selling land under its disposal programme, notices are placed in the Estates Gazette in respect of all woods larger than five hectares and all other land having a known conservation, recreation or amenity interest. This gives conservation or other bodies an advance opportunity to express an interest in purchase.
If the Government Department or agency responsible far the particular conservation interest concerned gives an unequivocal statement that the acquisition of a property by a conservation body would be in the public interest, and the commission agrees to a sale on these terms, it takes place at open market value.
No central record is kept of these offers and the compilation of a list would involve disproportionate cost.