§ Mr. MacdonaldTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress he is making in preparing(a) draft national or regional programmes and (b) zonal plans under Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2080/92 instituting an aid scheme for forestry measures in agriculture; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 15 January 1993]: To receive Community part-financing of forestry grant-aid under Council Regulation No. 2080/92, member states have to submit national or regional programmes describing their forestry aid schemes to the European Commission, which will decide whether they comply with the objectives and conditions of the regulation. Preparation of zonal plans is entirely optional.
The Forestry Commission is currently preparing a draft national programme for the United Kingdom, in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Scottish and Welsh Office Agriculture Departments, and this is expected to be submitted to the European Commission in the spring. We will not be producing either regional or zonal plans.