Woodlands (Hansard, 26 July 1993)

§ Mr. Richards
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the total land mass of Wales is made of publicly-owned woodland and forests.

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
The publicly-owned forests and woodlands managed by the Forestry Commission cover about 6 per cent. of the total land area of Wales. Information on the area of woodland owned by other public bodies is not readily available but it is not thought that it would be significant as a percentage of the total land area.

§ Mr. Richards
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to ensure the Welsh public will continue to have access to publicly-owned woodland; and if he will make a statement.

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
The Forestry Commission encourages people to enjoy the publicly-owned forests in its care through a "freedom to roam" policy. It also provides a range of visitor facilities, and caters for many outdoor activities and sports. The Commission will be continuing to implement these policies in its management of forests in the future.
Arrangements for securing continued public access to Forestry Commission woodlands sold under the disposals programme, by means of prior agreements entered into between the commission and local authorities, were introduced in October 1991. These arrangements will be reviewed this year in consultation with the countryside agencies and the local authority associations.
654W

§ Mr. Richards
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many acres of woodland in Wales are open for public access; and if he will make a statement.

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
The Forestry Commission manages 127,000 hectares (about 315,000 acres) of woodland in Wales and encourages public access through a "freedom to roam" policy. Public access is also often permitted in woodlands under the management of local authorities and bodies such as the Woodland Trust, but figures for these and the areas of privately owned woodlands open to the public are not readily available.