§ Mr. KnoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he plans to carry out the proposed review of incentives for forestry.
§ Mr. LangI and my fellow Ministers are keen to improve the effectiveness of the delivery of the Government's forestry policy objectives in line with my statement on forestry in September 1991. We gave a commitment in the manifesto to review the effectiveness of the current incentives for forestry investment, and this will be completed by the end of the year.
We have established a small group of officials, with representatives from the Treasury, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Welsh Office, Department of the Environment and the Forestry Commission, under Scottish Office chairmanship, to review the effectiveness of the current incentives for forestry investment, to review options for the ownership and management of Forestry Commission woodlands and to make proposals for changes which would improve the effectiveness of the delivery of the Government's forestry policy objectives, having regard to the Government's other economic and environmental policies.