Piers (Hansard, 12 May 1993)

§ Mrs. Ray Michie
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 29 April,Official Report, columns 538–39, if he will give a full breakdown of the cost of adapting the piers at Kennacraig, Port Ellen and Port Askaig per agency involved in the project.

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
The breakdown of the estimated cost of adapting the piers at Kennacraig, Port Ellen and Port Askaig by source of funding is as follows:

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that the work of the forestry review group does not jeopardise the Forestry Commission's existing policy and practice of allowing free public access to its land.

§ Sir Hector Monro
The remit of the forestry review group expressly includes the request that it should make proposals for changes which would improve the effectiveness of the delivery of the Government's forestry policy objectives, having regard to the Government's other economic and environmental policies.
Such objectives and policies clearly include the Forestry Commission's practice of encouraging public access to woodlands as stated in its "Forestry Policy for Great Britain", copies of which are in the Library.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many individual Forestry Commission land holdings there are.

§ Sir Hector Monro
It is estimated that there are about 5,000 individual Forestry Commission land holdings, excluding individual housing plots and other small areas.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the total amount of public expenditure generated since 1981 by former Forestry Commission land passing into the private sector and becoming eligible for agricultural grants and subsidies.

§ Sir Hector Monro
The amount of public expenditure generated in these circumstances has been negligible.
Woodlands sold by the commission are rarely converted to agricultural use as, under the felling licensing procedures, there is a general presumption against this. Existing agricultural land sold by the commission will normally have been attracting agricultural grants and subsidies before sale.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list(a) the total area of land disposed of, (b) the number of individual sales, (c) the income generated by the sales, (d) the total area of land disposed of over which public access has been formally protected and (e) the number of individual access agreements made on land disposed of, regarding land disposed of by the Forestry Commission since 1981.
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§ Sir Hector Monro
[holding answer 11 May 1993]: Between 27 July 1981 and 31 March 1993, the Forestry Commission sold 173,000 hectares of land, including woodlands and other land such as agricultural land and residential properties.
The sales included over 2,000 individual areas of forest land which are identified in lists held in the Library of the House; no central record is kept of the number of sales of agricultural land and residential properties.
The total income from all sales was £174 million.
The arrangements for securing continued public access to 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. Access agreements have now been made with local authorities for five areas of commission land, one of which, covering 21 hectares, has been sold.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 20 April,Official Report, columns 89–90, what steps he has taken, or proposes to take, to publicise the name and address of the secretary to the forestry review group; and if he intends to encourage or invite the submission of expert evidence to the group from outside.

§ Sir Hector Monro
[holding answer 11 May 1993]: Many individuals and organisations have already submitted useful comments and thoughts to the secretary to the forestry review group, whose name and address have been given coverage in the Official Report and the media.
Further submissions will continue to be welcomed and, as the work of the group progresses, there may be issues on which specific comment is invited; publicity will be arranged for these, as appropriate.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 17 March,Official Report, columns 276–78, to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley), if he will place in the Library a list by county and region of Forestry Commission land holdings greater than 1,000 hectares, giving the name, location and area.

§ Sir Hector Monro
[holding answer 21 April 1993]: The Forestry Commission is preparing a list of its landholdings greater than 1,000 hectares and I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a copy as soon as possible and for further copies to be placed in the Library.