§ 16. Mr. Steelasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland are presently unemployed.
§ Mr. RifkindOn 11 September 1986, the latest date for which information is available, the number of unemployed claimants in Scotland totalled 363,037 (14.4 per cent.).
Hectares New planting Restocking Total Hardwoods Softwoods Hardwoods Softwoods Hardwoods Softwoods Forestry Commission 56 4,277 306 6,991 362 11,268 Private Sector 849 18,170 1,492 2,847 2,341 21,017 Totals 905 22,447 1,798 9,838 2,703 32,285 The private sector figures comprise the areas of planting for which grant aid was paid by the Forestry Commission during the year.
§ 32. Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what new initiatives are being planned by the Forestry Commission in the field of conservation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe Forestry Commission's environmental policies have evolved over many years. The recent revision of its conservation policy, published in March 1986 under the title "The Forestry Commission and Conservation", took account of its new statutory duty to seek to achieve a reasonable balance between forestry activities and environmental considerations. The commission has consulted conservation organisations over the implementation of this policy, an important aim of which is to improve the conservation value of each forest as a whole. This will be achieved through the development of conservation plans for all commission forests, prepared in consultation with the Nature Conservancy Council and other organisations.