§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will detail all felling, ploughing and replanting that has occurred within the Abernethy Forest SSSI since February 1981; and whether they will state when all of this site will be renotified under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleSince 1981 there has occurred within Abernethy Forest: (a) clear felling and thinning in the Seafield section: (b) ploughing in the section of North Abernethy owned by Thomson Scottish Forestry; and (c) windblown timber removal from the Forest Lodge section. It is expected that renotification of the whole of this site will be completed by the spring of 1986.
§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Nature Conservancy Council was informed by either the owners, their agents or the Forestry Commission of the ploughing of a substantial area of land within the Abernethy Forest SSSI at the end of 1984; whether they will now act to protect this woodland from management practices agreed prior to the passing of the Wildlife and Countryside Act; and whether they will confirm that the assurance given in cols. 1319 and 1320 on 12th April 1984 concerning the protected status of this area has now been broken.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleThe ploughing was carried out in accordance with a management plan agreed in 1980 following detailed discussions between the Nature Conservancy Council, the Forestry Commission and Thomson Scottish Forestry. Further consultation with the NCC in respect of the 1984 ploughing was therefore unnecessary. The assurance given in cols. 1319–1320 of theOfficial Report on 12th April 1984 has not been broken, since no clear-felling has subsequently taken place. The NCC have no plans to attempt to negotiate a revised management agreement for this site at present.