Forestry (Hansard, 26 July 1988)

Mr. John M. Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what cost benefit analysis will be undertaken before commercial conifer forestation is approved for grant-aid under the woodland grant scheme.

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
No cost-benefit analysis is undertaken, since the decision whether or not to plant under the woodland grant scheme is a commercial one for each owner to take, altough the Forestry Commission would withhold grant-aid for any planting proposals which were not silviculturally sound or eventually capable of producing a crop of utilisable timber.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether new afforestation proposals made by the Forestry Commission fall within the scope of the Environmental Assessment (Afforestation) Regulations 1988; and if he will make a statement.

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
Forestry Commission planting does not fall within the scope of these regulations, but I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 19 July, at column586, by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether an environmental statement will normally be required in accordance with the Environmental Assessment (Afforestation) Regulations 1988 in respect of afforestation proposals made under the woodland grant scheme which would affect a site of special scientific interest or an area meeting the criteria for designation as a special protection area under European Community directive 79/409/EEC.

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
The Forestry Commission will shortly be publishing guidance on the application of these regulations which will include an indication of the circumstances in which an environmental assessment is most likely to be required.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland why the Forestry Commission will not consult voluntary bodies, local groups or other non-statutory agencies about new afforestation proposals; and if he will ask the Commission to publicise, by way of notices in local newspapers or theLondon or Edinburgh Gazette, applications made under the woodland grant scheme for new afforestation over 5 hectares.

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
As stated by my right hon. and learned Friend in his reply of 10 December 1987,Official Report, columns 251–54, to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro), we take the view that the Forestry Commission's present 178W consultation arrangements strike broadly the right balance between wider public involvement and the risk of increased bureaucracy and administrative costs. The statutory authorities consulted by the commission are encouraged to consider the views of voluntary bodies and others in commenting on forestry applications.
My right hon. and learned Friend does not consider that it would be reasonable or practical to ask the commission to publicise all applications under the woodland grant scheme for new planting over 5 hectares.