§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what area of Forestry Commission(a) land and (b) woodland has been sold in (i) England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales in each year since 1979; and what area he proposes should be available for future sale. [12485]
§ Mr. Kynoch[holding answer 24 January 1997]: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by Forest Enterprise. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. Gordon Cowie, to arrange for a reply to be given.
180WLetter from Gordon M. Cowie to Dr. Gavin Strang, dated 28 January 1997:
The Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to reply to your question about Forestry Commission disposals in England, Scotland and Wales since 1979.I enclose a list showing the areas of all land and forest land sold in each year from 1979 for the three countries.As announced in the Government's expenditure plans 1996–97 to 1998–99, the Commission plans to sell 13,000 hectares of forest land in each of the next two years.
Sales by countries of Forestry Commission properties (including woodland areas) by year since 1979 Year ended 31 Hectares All land Forest land March England 1980 1— 300 1981 414 189 1982 1,309 676 1983 2,523 2,126 1984 4,680 4,025 1985 6,976 6,561 1986 2,789 2,489 1987 2,786 2,377 1988 4,593 4,108 1989 1,629 1,386 1990 1,989 1,824 1991 1,556 1,452 1992 1,737 1,673 1993 1,006 883 1994 1,171 1,091 1995 1,486 1,389 1996 1,897 1,785 Scotland 1980 1— 300 1981 1,465 368 1982 7,371 1,510 1983 8,135 4,061 1984 36,543 11,345 1985 18,359 7,671 1986 10,555 4,055 1987 6,220 2,674 1988 3,359 1,662 1989 4,286 1,716 1990 4,620 2,633 1991 4,754 2,384 1992 3,517 3,359 1993 8,437 4,930 1994 12,462 12,105 1995 7,286 6,824 1996 5,889 5,357 Wales 1980 1— 0 1981 361 131 1982 1,743 161 1983 1,450 445 1984 3,347 1,137 1985 3,522 1,840 1986 3,229 1,770 1987 1,950 1,135 1988 977 617 1989 1,760 1,226 1990 1,242 1,102 1991 1,118 934 1992 1,657 1,231 1993 1,146 1,014 1994 1,317 1,223 1995 2,036 1,801 1996 1,302 1,075 1 Before 1980 central records were kept only of forest land.