Mr. Edward M. Taylorasked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what representations he has received regarding the proposed siting of the Forestry Commission Headquarters in Basingstoke.
§ Mr. WilleyRecommendations about the siting of the Forestry Commission office in Basingstoke have been made by the Royal Scottish Forestry Society to my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland. I myself have been advised by the hon. Member for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (Mr. Steel) of concern expressed by one of his constituents who is a member of the Council of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society.
Mr. Edward M. Taylorasked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources how many employees of the Forestry Commission will be based at the proposed new headquarters in Basingstoke; and how many administrative staff will be employed by the Commission elsewhere.
§ Mr. WilleyAbout 140 employees of the Forestry Commission will be based at Basingstoke. This figure includes 451W staff in a variety of grades—professional, administrative, executive and clerical. On the assumption that the reference to administrative staff in the second part of the Question is to staff similarly employed in other Commission Offices, as distinct from officers employed in the field, the number of staff who will be employed in offices other than Basingstoke is 986.