§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if there is a wider application for the introduction of a tendering process for farmers who wish to plant woodlands, as currently exists in the national forest. [8537]
§ Mr. MorleyThe tendering approach used in the National Forest Tender Scheme has already been applied to other challenges run under the Woodland Grant Scheme including the South West Forest, new native woodlands in national parks, and reversing the fragmentation of ancient woodland.
The Forestry Commission and DEFRA are currently conducting a review of woodland creation grants and will consider as part of this whether the tendering and challenge approach should be used n more widely.