§ Major WHELERasked the President of the Board of Trade what is estimated to be the area of woods which will have to be felled by the end of 1918 to meet the war emergency; and what consideration is being given to the replanting of these areas after the War?
§ Mr. WARDLEIt is not possible to give an estimate of the area of woods which will have to be felled by the end of 1918, as this depends not only on uncertain war requirements, but on varying density of timber and on the labour and tonnage available for importation. About 130,000,000 cubic feet of standing timber have been disposed of in the United Kingdom for felling, and this quantity is being added to daily. The question of re-afforestation is in the hands of the Board of Agriculture, with whom the Timber Supply Department of the Board of Trade are co-operating by collecting information and providing seed.