§ Mr. Hardyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the land surface of the United Kingdom is covered by woodland and forest; and how this compares with all other mainland European countries.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe figure for the United Kingdom is 9 per cent. The most recent directly comparable statistics are those in the study " Forest Resources in the European Region " published in 1976 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. The figures, which relate to land use in 1970, are reproduced below:
FORESTS AND OTHER WOODED LAND A3 A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL LAND Nordic Countries Finland 74 Norway 29 Sweden 64 EEC Belgium 20 Denmark 12 France 25 Germany, Fed. Rep. 30 Ireland 4 Italy 27 Luxembourg 32 Netherlands 10 Central Europe Austria 45 Switzerland 27 Southern Europe Greece 44 Portugal 34 Spain 28 Turkey 26 Yugoslavia 36 Eastern Europe Bulgaria 33 Czechoslovakia 36 German Dem. Rep 28 Hungary 16 Poland 28 Romania 29
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total sum invested in forestry activity in both the private and public sectors during each of the last 10 years; and what is' the current annual cost of imported timber products.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe total sum invested by the Forestry Commission in 243W each of the last 10 years is set out below. The Parliamentary Vote element includes expenditure on the Commisson's forestry authority functions which cover grants
Year ended 31 March Parliamentary Vote including grants to private forestry (shown in brackets) Other income Total £million £million £million 1970 … … … … 15.1 (1.7) 7.6 22.7 1971 … … … … 15.5 (1.9) 9.0 24.5 1972 … … … … 16.0 (2.1) 10.7 26.7 1973 … … … … 15.4 (2.1) 12.0 27.4 1974 … … … … 13.5 (2.0) 16.7 30.2 1975 … … … … 17.0 (1.9) 24.4 41.4 1976 … … … … 26.9 (1.5) 24.1 51.0 1977 … … … … 27.0 (1.3) 28.9 55.9 1978 … … … … 24.7 (1.3) 36.3 61.0 1979 … … … … 29.3 (2.2) 36.3 65.6 No reliable statistics on private investment are available. The balance, after grants, of afforestation and management costs met my private woodland owners, or offset by them for tax purposes against other income, varies according to their individual circumstances.
The value of imported timber products in 1979, including the whole of divisions 24, 25, 63 and 64 of the Overseas Trade Statistics—except for cork and pulp and paper recorded as being made from non-wood fibres—was £2,817 million.
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether studies he has made indicate that forestry could be expanded without a marked reduction in agricultural production.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI have made no such studies. However, there is no evidence that the substantial afforestation that has taken place over the last 10 years has had any marked effect on livestock production. In considering future expansion of forestry, it is obviously necessary to take account of the economic importance of livestock production to our hill and upland areas. The established consultation procedures for afforestation proposals will ensure that the right balance with agriculture is maintained.