§ Mr. Canavanasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how often the Treasury has given approval to payments out of the Forestry Fund into the Consolidated Fund under section 3 of the Forestry Act 1981; and what have been the sums involved.
§ Mr. MooreForestry Ministers, with the approval of the Treasury, issued a directive to the Forestry Commission in March 1982 under section 41(4A) of the Forestry Act 1967, as amended by the Forestry Act 1981. This requires receipts from the disposal of land, buildings, and plantations to be transferred to the Consolidated Fund at quarterly intervals, together with any working balance remaining in the forestry fund at the end of each financial year.
The sums received by the Consolidated Fund under the terms of the directive are as follows:
1981–82 1982–83 1983–84* £ £ £ Receipts from disposals 4,375,737 12,473,554 10,926,241 Surrender of working balance at the end of the financial year — 342,432 1,203,061 Total 4,375,737 12,815,986 12,129,302 * To end of October.