§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo 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-HamiltonThe 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 GriffithsTo 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.
536W
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-HamiltonThe 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 GriffithsTo 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-HamiltonMost 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 GriffithsTo 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-HamiltonInformation 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 :
537W
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 GriffithsTo 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-HamiltonIt 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 GriffithsTo 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-HamiltonThe 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 GriffithsTo 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-HamiltonThe cost was £.1.09 per copy and 15,000 copies were printed.