§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list each area of Forestry Commission land in Wales by county hectarage and location sold to the private sector during each of the last five years and the total receipts, by county, accruing to the commission from such sales.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsLists giving details of the areas of forest land sold by the Forestry Commission in the four years from 1988 to 1991 are held in the Library of the House. A similar list is being prepared of the areas of forest land sold in 1992 and I shall arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House as soon as possible.
The receipts from sales of forest land are not recorded by county, but the total receipts for Wales in each of the last five financial years are as follows:
Year ended 31 March Receipts £000 1988 871 1989 1,527 1990 1,786 1991 1,956 1992 2,179
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his current policy in respect of the sale of Forestry Commission assets in Wales; and if he will list those forest areas currently available for sale to the private sector.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsI refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. and learned Friend the then Secretary of State for Scotland on 16 June 1989.
The following areas of forest land in Wales are at present being offered for sale on the open market:
273W
274W
County and Name Area (hectares) Dyfed Allt Crychdu 18 Allt Fawr 7 Allt Llwyn Dyfrion 11 Allt Pistyll Dewi 33 Allt Pwll Priddog 18 Allt Tir Isaf 5 Allt y Fergwm 23 Brynwicket 8 Bwlch Newydd 8 Bylchau Duon 62 Careg Fadog 6 Cilfowyr 3 Coed Cwm Saethe 5 Coed Ffridd Cwmere 20 Coed Gwastad 28 Coedmore, Coad Newydd 17 Coed Rhosan 5 Coed y Gorof 7 Cresselly Big Wood 48 Cwmcroiddur 7 Cwmfran Fawr 3 Cwm Gwachel 15 Cwnheidre Uchaf 24 Erryd Wood 5 Fforest 22 Ffynon Le Frith 25 Glanteifi 3 Glaspant 4 Glebe Woods 17 Hafod Iwan 32 Knightson Bottom 15 Llwyn y Gwair 14 Lon Isaf 7 Maestwynog 12 North Wood 27 Pant y Gaseg 3 Pencwm Fawr 9 Penhill Wood 4 Penrallt Ddu 13 Pont Eynon and Allt y Forlan 29 Pont Henri 14 Portis Pant 30 Prycemoor 5 Rams Wood 26 Rhos Geler 9 Scolton 30 Sunnyhill Wood 9 Tanyrallt 6 The Coombes 6 Trevane Wood 10 Troserch 35 Tynton Wood 4 Ty'r Shyme 7 Waun Baglan Woods 26 Wenallt 17 Gwent Craig y Merchant 24 Hafod Risclawdd 23 Luggas Wood and Youngs Grove 15 Gwynedd Bodfeddau 10 Coed Dyfi 17 Coed Ty Uchaf 15 Glyn Estate 49 Gwenfro Uchaf 7 Irby 4 Parc Main 6 Tan y Graig 3 Powys Allt Cwm Tywyll 6 Craig Yr Henffordd 8 Cwmbach and Cwmcoch 44 Great Wood 9
County and Name Area (hectares) Pwll Llydan 31 South Glamorgan Breach Wood 9 West Glamorgan Craig Ynysgollen 10 Gelligaer 33
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what evidence he has that a public access requirement diminishes the market value of Forestry Commission assets in Wales on offer of sale to the public sector;
(2) if he will list each area of Forestry Commission land in Wales sold to the private sector over the last five years in respect of which public access agreements have been made.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsThe arrangements for securing continued public access to woodland sold by the Forestry Commission were introduced in October 1991. They have not been in operation long enough to assess what effect they might have on market values. Only five of the woodland areas considered under these arrangements have been sold so far. None of the sales was subject to an access agreement.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy in respect of the maintenance of public access to Forestry Commission land sold to the private sector; what steps he has taken to ensure the implementation of this policy; and what assessment he has made of its efficacy.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsI refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. and learned Friend the then Secretary of State for Scotland on 21 November 1990, columns164–66. The arrangements to implement the policy were introduced in October 1991 and are scheduled to be reviewed at the end of this year.