§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Forestry Commission will be withholding grants from Economic Forestry Group plc in relation to its applications for woodland grant in view of the damage to sites of archaeological importance at Tarland and Ashkirktown; whether it intends to initiate prosecutions; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe damage done to these archaeological sites was in clear breach of the Forestry Commission's woodland grant scheme approvals which required that they should be protected. The commission will therefore be witholding grants on both applications. The Tarland site was not scheduled; a decision has still to be taken on the question of a prosecution in respect of the damage done to the scheduled Ashkirktown site.