§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to meet the Government's Forestry Strategy commitments to sustainably managed woods. [43603]
§ Mr. MorleyOur approach and commitment to sustainable woodland management is set out in the 1998 UK Forestry Standard. The England Forestry Strategy describes our priorities and programmes for forestry in England. Our aim is to ensure that all of England's woodlands are sustainably managed. We give advice to private woodland owners to encourage them to manage their woodlands sustainably and support for this is given through the Woodland Grant Scheme. All applications for assistance under this scheme must meet the criteria set out in the UK Forestry Standard.
The Forestry Commission has been awarded the World Wide Fund for Nature's Gift to the Earth Award in recognition of the key role they played in progressing independent certification of sustainable forest management in the UK through development and delivery of the UK Woodland Assurance Standard. The UK is the only country where the entire state forest area has achieved credible certification to an independent standard recognised by the Forestry Stewardship Council.
We recognise the need to monitor UK woodland and to take corrective action when necessary. The UK Forestry Standard explains how we will achieve this through a combination of scientific study and national surveys. We are committed to publishing results and to continue developing the Standard in the light of experience.