§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications were made to the Woodland Grant Scheme in each of the last three years; how many were successful; and what was the total sum of grant awarded in each year. [187151]
§ Mr. BradshawFor the Forestry Commission's Woodland Grant Scheme in England the number of applications made, number approved and the value of the grants in the approved schemes since 2001 are given in the following table.
Financial year Woodland grant scheme applications Approved schemes Value of grants in approved schemes (£ million) 2001–02 2,500 2,184 17.9 2002–03 2,801 2,239 18.4 2003–04 3,017 2,333 23.0 Note: The processing of applications takes a number of weeks so applications may have been received in a different year to that in which they were approved.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications under the Woodland Grant Scheme were received between 1 April and 28 June; what the total sum of money applied for was; how many of these applications have been successful; and what the total sum of grant approved is. [187152]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Forestry Commission received a total of 700 applications for a total of £3.9 million between 1 April and 28 June 2004 of which £1.1 million has so far been approved. The current status of all these applications is given in the following table.
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Status Number Application withdrawn by applicant or rejected by the Forestry Commission 58
Status Number Awaiting information from the applicant in order to continue processing 148 Applications currently being processed by the Forestry Commission 246 Grant offer made 152 Offer accepted by applicant 96 Total 700
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants will be available from her Department or the Forestry Commission between now and 31 March 2006 to assist the creation of new woodlands. [187256]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Forestry Commission will continue to pay the woodland creation grants approved in existing Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS) contracts. These contracts extend beyond 31 March 2006 and include capital grants for establishment, additional grants for afforestation of improved agricultural land and for creating new woodland with public access. A range of premiums will also be paid to support the National Forest, Community Forests, South West Forest and the North West's 'Forest Futures' initiative.
Subject to meeting the technical and administrative requirements of the WGS, grants will also be paid on those applications received before the WGS closed to new applications for new planting, but which have yet to be approved.
Payments will also be made under the associated Farm Woodland Premium Scheme operated by Defra. This makes annual payments in accordance with the terms of the scheme for up to 15 years. This scheme will apply to some of the WGS applications which have yet to be approved.
It is expected that from mid 2005 new applications for grant aid will be accepted by the Forestry Commission for woodland creation under the English Woodland Grant Scheme. This will be in time for planting to take place in the 2005–06 planting season, with grant payments being made from April 2006.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many woodland grants were made by her Department or by the Forestry Commission in respect of woodlands in(a) the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and (b) Buckinghamshire in each of the last four financial years; what the sum of such grants was in each such year; and if she will make a statement. [187257]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Forestry Commission made the following payments in the Chilterns AONB and Buckinghamshire under the Woodland Grant Scheme in the last four years.
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a) Chilterns AONB Financial year Number of claims Paid Claims Value £000 2001–2002 170 273.7
2002–2003 174 273.5 2003–2004 120 187.3 b)Buckinghamshire Financial year Number of claims Paid Claim Value £000 2002–2001 176 238.8 2001–2002 186 327.6 2002–2003 179 270.0 2003–2004 134 198.6 In addition to the woodland premium Scheme administered by Farm Woodland Premium scheme administered by Defra made annual payment to farmers in compensation for income forgone as a consequence of converting agricultural land to woodland.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for woodland grants her received during the current financial year in respect of woodlands in(a) the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and (b) Buckinghamshire; what the total sum applied for was; how many such applications, and to what aggregate value, have been approved; and if she will make a statement.[187258]
§ Mr. BradshawBetween I April and 28 June the Forestry Commission received nine application for a total of £19,000 on land within the Chilterns AONB and 11 application for a total of £22,000 on land below together with the value of those approved.
a)Chilterns AONB Status Number Application withdrawn by applicant or rejected by the Forestry Commission 1 A Waiting information from the applicant in order to continue processing 1 Application currently being processed by the Forestry Commission 4 Grant offer made 1 Offer accepted by applicant 2(Value of £1,600) (b) Buckinghamshire Status Number Application withdrawn by applicant or rejected by the Forestry Commission 1 A waiting information from the applicant in order to continue processing 4 Application currently being processed by the Forestry Commission 2 Grant offer made 2 Offer accepted by applicant 2(Value of £1,900) In addition to the Woodland Grant Scheme, the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme administered by Defra and which makes annual payments to farmers in compensation for income forgone as a consequence of 1583W converting agricultural land to woodland is included with the one grant offer made in the Chilterns AONB area.