§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Prime Minister if she will set the precise responsibility which the Secretary of State for the Environment has in relation to forestry.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Secretary of State for the Environment is responsible for environmental matters in England, and has an overall responsibility for nature conservation in the United Kingdom. He is therefore consulted by the Ministers with direct responsibility for forestry about the environmental implications of forestry policies. He is also consulted about those applications for planting grant on which the Forestry Commission has sought the views of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as Forestry Minister for England, because there is an unresolved objection on environmental grounds from the relevant body or local authority.