§ Mark TamiTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's directory of town and parish councils. [105972]
§ Alun MichaelThe Department's database of parish and town council clerks in England has been drawn together to enable us to communicate with parish and town councils, it is not immediately clear whether it would be consistent with the Data Protection Act 1998 to publish our internal database as a public directory. It must be remembered that many clerks work from home on a part-time basis although some of the larger town and parish councils do have their own offices. I have asked for the matter to be considered by our legal advisers and I shall write to my hon. Friend after I have considered that advice and shall place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
§ David DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to increase woodland cover in(a) the East Riding of Yorkshire, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) England. [105276]
§ Mr. MorleyWith support from the Woodland Grant Scheme and Farm Woodland Premium Scheme, private woodland owners in Yorkshire and the Humber, including the East Riding, created some 850 hectares of new woodland over the last two years. The forthcoming Regional Forestry Framework is expected to identify priorities and actions for forestry in the Region, including further woodland creation.
As regards our Forestry Strategy for England as a whole, we are currently reviewing our grant schemes with a view to achieving, among other things, improved targeting of support for new woodland. At the moment, 649W our target is to create 30,000 hectares of new woodland over the seven year period of the England Rural Development Programme.