§ Mr. Kenneth Carlisleasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what new initiatives the Forestry Commission has implemented to achieve a reasonable balance between the development of afforestation and nature conservation when approving forestry grant applications (a) generally and (b) in the flow country of Sutherland and Caithness;
(2) if he will take steps to ensure that, in relation to the flow country of Sutherland and Caithness, the Forestry Commission undertakes full consultations with the Nature Conservancy Council on all forestry applications both within sites of special scientific interest and the wider countryside within those districts.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe Forestry Commission's consultation arrangements for forestry grant applications are kept under review to ensure that they continue to meet their long-standing objective to achieve a reasonable balance between forestry and other land use interests, including nature conservation. Since the passage of the Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1985, which placed a new duty on the forestry commissioners regarding the balance between forestry and the environment, the commission has given added emphasis to the need to satisfy itself as far as possible that proposals contained in grant applications are sensibly drawn on silvicultural, land use, nature conservation and landscape grounds before the consultation process is started. This is done against the background of the commission's own knowledge, which, in the case of nature conservation, is being assisted through the setting up of local consultative panels to provide a forum for discussion of environmental issues affecting forestry in their areas, and by advice as appropriate from the Nature Conservancy Council. The commission is also in the course of reviewing the composition and procedures of its regional advisory committees.
As regards the flow country of Sutherland and Caithness, the commission has extended its normal arrangements for consulting the Nature Conservancy Council to include not only planting proposals in SSSIs but also those in areas identified by the council as possible candidates for future notification. These arrangements are being kept under review in the light of discussions at present taking place between the Forestry Commission, the Scottish Office and the Nature Conservancy Council.