§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland to whom the Forestry Commission has disposed of any land notified as a site of special scientific interest since 1986.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Forestry Commission sold 36 areas of land containing sites of special scientific interest in the period from 1 April to 31 March 1991. Permission from the purchasers to divulge their names has been given in respect of 17 of these areas, details of which are given in the following table:
§ Mr. Michael ForsythI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 14 March 1991,Official Report, column 691. A list of the areas of forest land sold by the Forestry Commission in the period from 27 July 1981 to 31 December 1990 has now been placed in the Library. It includes the names of those purchasers who have given their consent to such information being made public.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all land in England and Wales which was owned by the Forestry Commission and has been sold, for which local authorities have been able to enter into an access agreement.
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§ Mr. Michael ForsythNo such agreements have been entered into pending the introduction of the procedures outlined by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) in the answer he gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro) on 21 November 1990,Official Report, columns 164–6. The Forestry Commission has prepared draft guidelines setting out the details of these procedures which are currently the subject of consultation with a wide range of public and private bodies concerned with public access to the countryside, forestry and land management. The new arrangements will be introduced as soon as these consultations have been concluded.