§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in the year to 31 March the Forestry Commission consulted the Agricultural Department over applications for felling licences to clear woodland for agricultural purposes.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 6 June 1985, c. 256]: In the year ended 31 March 1985, the Forestry Commission consulted the Agricultural Departments over 163 such cases.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions, in the year to 31 March, the Forestry Commission issued felling licences for broadleaved woods; of these, how many licences had conditions requiring the replanting purely of broadleaved trees; and how many hectares of woodland this totalled.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 6 June 1985, c. 256]: In the year ended 31 March 1985 the Forestry Commission issued 224 licences for the felling of broadleaved trees, of which 103 licences covering 135 hectares had conditions requiring replanting with broadleaves only. In addition, a significant number of licences were issued requiring restocking with a mixture of broadleaves and conifers, designed to lead eventually to woodlands with a predominantly broadleaved character.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in the year to 31 March the Forestry Commission issued felling licences which permitted the clear-felling of broadleaved woodland for conversion to agriculture, and how many hectares of woodland this totalled.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 6 June 1985, c. 256]: There were 34 felling licences issued in the year ended 31 March 1984 covering 67 hectares.
The information given in my reply to the hon. Member on 25 April, at columns 532–33, named those broadleaved woodlands licensed for clearfelling for conversion to agriculture in the period 1 January 1985 to 31 March 1985, but should have ascribed 33 of those to the year ended 31 March 1985 and not 31 as stated. A further licence of the 34W type granted in the year but omitted from the list brings this total to 34. This related to a 0.5 hectare woodland at Brook Vessons farm, Shropshire.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in the year to 31 March officials from his Department confirmed to the Forestry Commission that a proposal to clearfell a broadleaved woodland and convert it to agricultural land would make a significant contribution to the viability and economy of the agricultural holding concerned.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1985, c. 452]: There were 21 such occasions, covering all the Agricultural Departments, in the year ended 31 March 1985.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in the year to 31 March 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 what area of woodland this involved.
§ Mr. John MacKay[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1985, c. 452]: In the year ended 31 March 1985, the Forestry Commission issued 121 such licences covering 334 hectares.