§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to offer statutory protection to all remaining areas of ancient forest and woodland in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. MacleanAdequate statutory provision is already available.
My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, the Member for Dumfries (Sir Hector Monro), has today set out the operation by the Forestry Commission of the felling licence provisions of the Forestry Act 1967 in an answer to the hon. Member.
The felling of woodland associated with development proposed under the planning system is exempt from felling licensing arrangements and is dealt with under normal planning procedures.
Where appropriate, specific protection can be afforded to individual woodlands under the provisions of conservation legislation. Such woodlands can be designated by the relevant agencies as sites of special scientific interest, protecting them against damaging operations of all types: some are also declared and managed as national nature reserves. In addition local authorities have powers to safeguard woods of amenity value by the making of tree preservation orders.