§ 40. Mr. Sean Hughesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much land the Forestry Commission owns in England; and how much has been sold since May 1979.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe Forestry Commission does not own any land. Ownership is vested in England, in the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the land is formally placed at the disposal of the forestry commissioners to manage in accordance with their statutory duties.
As at 31 March 1986, the Forestry Commission managed 285,685 hectares of land in England. Some 20,300 hectares were sold between 1 May 1979 and 21 September 1986.