HC Deb 17 November 1987 vol 122 cc535-7W
Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the proportion of broadleaves of the total planting in Scotland by(a) the Forestry Commission and (b) private sector companies in each year since 1979 and also the current proportion.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The information, in the form of percentages of total planting, is set out in the following table :

Year to 31 March Forestry Commission Private Sector1
1979 0.6 3.2
1980 0.6 2.7
1981 0.6 1.7
1982 0.4 1.3
1983 0.6 1.4
1984 0.5 1.5
1985 0.8 1.6
1986 1.5 2.3
1987 5.2 3.8
1 The figures in the third column of the table cover the private forestry sector as a whole. It is not possible to provide separate figures for companies.

It is too early to estimate percentages for the current year to 31 March 1988.

Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give the value of(a) planting grants and (b) the nature and value of tax concessions made to the private forestry sector in Caithness and Sutherland in each year from 1979; and if he will also reprice the figures for inflation ;

(2) if he will give the value of (a) planting grants and (b) the nature and value of tax concessions made to the private forestry sector in Scotland in each year from 1979 ; and if he will also reprice the figures for inflation.

Conservancy (£ thousands) Conservancy (£ thousands revalued to 1987 equivalents)
Year to 31 March North 1East South West North 1East South West
1982 34 15 19 28 44 20 24 36
1983 19 8 15 26 23 9 17 32
1984 42 16 16 30 47 18 19 34
1985 49 15 14 35 54 16 16 38
1 The former East Scotland conservancy was assimilated into the Mid Scotland and North Scotland conservancies in 1985.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The information on planting grants is set out in the following tables :

Year to 31 March Planting grants paid (£ thousands) Planting grants paid (£ thousands revalued to 1987 equivalents)
Caithness and Sutherland
1980 14 27
1981 34 48
1982 124 160
1983 137 165
1984 470 537
1985 338 369
1986 691 712
1987 808 808
Scotland
1980 1,481 2,441
1981 1,393 1,953
1982 2,475 3,193
1983 2,669 3,207
1984 3,607 4,126
1985 3,727 4,068
1986 4,476 4,614
1987 4,592 4,592

The value of tax concessions would have depended on the tax status at the time of a large number of individual investors and cannot be assessed with any accuracy.

Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the recreational and amenity benefits of the incentives provided to private sector forestry in Scotland.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Most planting by the private sector in Scotland is carried out under the Forestry Commission's forestry grant scheme. All applicants under this scheme must accept its stated objectives, which include the securing of environmental benefits and the provision of such opportunities for recreation, including provision for public access, as may be appropriate. Similar objectives apply to the commission's broadleaved woodland grant scheme.

Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the sums spent on(a) forest walks and (b) footpaths in each of the three conservancies, north Scotland, mid Scotland and south Scotland, in each year from 1979; and if he will also reprice the figures for inflation.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Information is avail-able only from 1981–82 onwards, and that in respect of expenditure on visitor facilities generally, of which spending on forest walks and footpaths is a substantial element. The information is set out in the following table :

Conservancy (£ thousands) Conservancy (£ thousands revalued to 1987 equivalents)
Year to 31 March North Mid South North Mid South
1986 45 77 65 51 79 67
1987 52 52 52 52 52 52

Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will calculate the impact on the Exchequer of switching planting from the public to the private forestry sector in Scotland.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

It is not possible to make such a calculation, since information about tax reliefs granted to private individuals in respect of their investments in forestry in Scotland is not available.

Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the amount of forest recreation and amenity subsidy made to the Forestry Commission in Scotland and in the United Kingdom in each year from 1979; and if he will also reprice the figures for inflation.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The Forestry Commission's statutory responsibilities do not extend to Northern Ireland. The information is otherwise set out in the following table:

Conservancy (£ thousands) Conservancy (£ thousands revalued to 1987 equivalents)
Year to 31 March North East1 South West North East1 South West
1980 263 214 312 281 431 351 512 461
1981 305 259 275 197 424 360 382 274
1982 238 273 274 231 307 352 354 298
1983 272 353 268 250 326 424 322 300
1984 318 337 344 279 363 384 392 318
1985 332 388 300 354 362 423 327 386
1The former East Scotland conservancy was assimilated into the Mid Scotland and North Scotland conservancies in 1985.
Conservancy (£ thousands) Conservancy (£ thousands revalued to 1987 equivalents)
Year to 31 March North Mid South North Mid South
1986 542 784 551 558 808 567
1987 588 656 661 558 656 661

Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the cost of producing the magazineForest Life and the numbers printed.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The cost was £.1.09 per copy and 15,000 copies were printed.