HC Deb 03 June 1992 vol 208 cc587-8W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the criteria used by the Forestry Commission when choosing plantation and plantable land for sale; whether particular land has been designated which will not be sold; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Hector Monro

The Forestry Commission follows the guidelines on the selection of areas for disposal set out by the then Secretary of State for Scotland, Mr. George Younger, in a letter to the Forestry Commission chairman dated 28 May 1981. This letter was reproduced at appendix V of the commission's 1981–82 annual report, a copy of which is in the Library.

Dr. David Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the sites where(a) access agreements have been reached and (b) are being negotiated following the sale of Forestry Commission land in each county or Scottish region in Britain; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Hector Monro

[holding answer 21 May 1992]: Where access agreements are negotiated and agreed, this is done before the sale of the woodland.

One access agreement has been agreed for land at Steam Mills in Gloucestershire.

Fourteen access agreements are currently being negotiated in Devon, East Sussex, Humberside, North Yorkshire. Somerset (two), West Sussex, Dyfed (five), Gwent and West Glamorgan. It would not be appropriate to list the particular sites while these negotiations are in progress.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what amount has been received by Her Majesty's Government from sale of Forestry Commission land; what is his current estimate of total receipts from the disposal of Forestry Commission land; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Hector Monro

[holding answer 2 June 1992]: A total of f1615 million was raised from the sale of Forestry Commission land and property between 1981 and 3I March 1992. Estimates of receipts from such sales for the three years to 31 March 1995 have been published in the Government's Expenditure Plans 1992–93 to 1994–95 (Cm 1915), as follows:

£ million
1992–93 15.0
1993–94 16.0
1994–95 16.0