§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of individual areas of forested and other land owned by the Forestry Commission in Wales that has been sold off in each of the past five years; what is the location of these sales; by how much the Forestry Commission has benefited from such sales; and what is the total area involved as a percentage of the forested areas held by the commission in Wales.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsInformation on Forestry Commission land sales prior to the passing of the Forestry Act 1981 (27 July 1981) and on sales of non-forested land since that date has not been maintained centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
As regards plantation sales since 27 July 1981, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Ross) on 17 January 1984 at columns 168–82 which listed plantations sold by the Forestry Commission between the passing of the Forestry Act 1981 and 21 November 1983.
From 21 November 1983 until 21 February 1984, the latest date for which information is available, further sales of plantations have been completed in Wales as shown in the following table.
A total of £6.35 million was raised from the sale of Forestry Commission land and other real assets in Wales between 27 July 1981 and 21 February 1984. Such receipts are surrendered by the commission to the Consolidated Fund.
The plantations sold (1,476 hectares) represent only 1 per cent. of the woodland managed by the Forestry Commission in Wales as at 31 March 1981.
380W
Plantations sold in Wales between 21.11.83 and 21.2.84 Names of property Forest County Penrhos Isaf Land Coed-y-Brenin Gwynedd Goetre Land Coed-y-Brenin Gwynedd Dormitory Wood (part) Clocaenog Clwyd Coed Wynne Clocaenog Clwyd Coed Jocelyn and Coed Salusbury Clocaenog Clwyd Big Covert (part) Clocaenog Clwyd Glascoed Hafren Powys Coed Cymeryr Hafren Powys Berth Lloyd Hafren Powys Llwyn Dyrys Hafren Powys Penarth (part) Coed Sarnau Powys Dolagored (part) Coed Sarnau Powys Gwern Dyfhant Radnor Powys Coed Erglodd Access Rheidol Dyfed Coed Erglodd Bach Rheidol Dyfed Glan yr Annell Isaf (part) Caeo Dyfed
Names of property Forest County City Wood (part of Tair Onen package) Tair Onen South Glamorgan Oak Park (part of Tair Onen package) Tair Onen South Glamorgan Pen Braich (part of Tair Onen package) Tair Onen South Glamorgan Clappers Wood (part of Tintern package) Tintern Gwent