§ Mr. Elystan Morganasked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the timber currently sold from Forestry Commission plantations in Wales is further processed in Wales and what plans he has to increase this percentage.
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§ Mr. Peter ThomasIn the year ended 31st March, 1972, about 60 per cent, of the timber sold directly from the Forestry Commission's forests in Wales was processed in the Principality. The corresponding information is not available for the remainder of the timber produced by the Commission, which was sold to timber merchants.
As supplies from the Commission's forests increase there will be more scope, in the longer term, for the expansion of processing in Wales, but this will necessarily depend upon the commercial judgement of potential investors.