§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in 1982–83 and 1983–84 the Forestry Commission issued felling licences which permitted the clear-felling of broadleaved woodlands for conversion to agricultural land and how many hectares of woodland this totalled in each case.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 19 December 1984, c. 255]: The information is as follows:
Year ended 31 March Number of Licences issued Area of Woodland (hectares) 1983 102 414 1984 126 438 This represented a rate of loss of broadleaved woodland to agriculture of 0.06 per cent. a year.
In the nine month period 1 April 1984 to 31 December 1984 the figures were: 59W
Number of Licences issued Area of Woodland (hectares) 22 66 The recent substantial drop in the numbers of such cases is in large part a reflection of the presumption operated by the Forestry Commission against the conversion of broadleaved woodland sites to agricultural use.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in 1982–83 and 1983–84 the Forestry Commission issued felling licences which permitted felling of broadleaved woods, without there being conditions attached for the replanting solely of broadleaved trees; and how many hectares of woodland this totalled in each year.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 19 December 1984, c. 255]: The information is as follows:
Year ended 31 March Number of Licences issued Area of Woodland (hectares) 1983 278 811 1984 269 749 A significant proportion of these cases involved replanting with a mixture of conifers and broadleaves, designed to lead eventually to woodlands of a predominantly broadleaved character. Only 23 licences covering some 65 hectares were issued during these two years which provided for replanting solely with conifers.
In the nine month period 1 April 1984 to 31 December 1984 the figures were:
Number of licences issued Area of woodland (hectares) 86 221 of which only one licence covering 0.8 hectares provided for replanting solely with conifers.
The recent substantial drop in the number of cases is in large part a reflection of the presumption operated by the Forestry Commission against the conversion of broad-leaved woodland sites to agriculture or to coniferous woodland.