HL Deb 26 October 1993 vol 549 c86WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What value has the Treasury, in its instructions to the Forestry Commission on the conduct of its sales of woods, required them to put on the maintenance of public access.

Lord Fraser of Carmyllie

The Treasury has not given any specific instructions on this point. It is, however, one of the factors taken into account by the Forestry Commission in selecting areas of land for sale. These factors are listed in a letter that the then Secretary of State for Scotland sent to the Commission in 1981, which is reproduced at Appendix V to the Commission's 1981–82 Annual Report, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In how many cases where woods have been sold, has a previous right of public access been extinguished.

Lord Fraser of Carmyllie

The Government retain no direct interest in woodlands after their sale by the Forestry Commission. No official statistics on the provision of access by the new owners have therefore been collected. Rights of way will not, of course, have been affected by the changes of ownership.

We are concerned, however, that the general public should continue to enjoy access to woodlands sold by the Commission. We therefore introduced arrangements in October 1991 for securing continued public access to such woodlands after sale, by means of prior agreements entered into between the Commission and local authorities. Access agreements have now been completed or are nearing completion for over 30 woodlands which are in the process of being sold, and local authorities have expressed interest in negotiating an agreement in nearly 50 further cases. These arrangements are now being reviewed in consultation with the countryside agencies, the local authority associations and other interested bodies.