§ Ear of Dalkeithasked the President of the Board of Trade what information he has received from the Forestry 502W Department of the Food and Agriculture Organisation in Rome regarding the likelihood of a world shortage of timber, particularly in the softwood category, the magnitude of such a shortage, its probable effect upon world market prices and the consequences for the United Kingdom, which is at present importing some 90 per cent. of her timber.
§ Mr. DarlingA number of regional studies of timber trends and prospects have been published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and these have included tentative conclusions about a possible world shortage in 1975. The implications of such a shortage for the United Kingdom which may be drawn from these and other available information are summarised in the Report of the Land Use Study Group which was published on 3rd March. More detailed information is expected to be available from the study of world timber trends which the F.A.O. is now preparing for the Sixth World Forestry Congress.