§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what Government grants are available to encourage private woodland owners to provide public access to their land; how many such grants have been made in the past 10 years; and in respect of which pieces of land these grants have been made.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 26 October 1993]: The community woodland supplement, which was introduced in 1991 as part of the woodland grant scheme, provides grants for the creation of new woodlands near towns and cities on condition that the woodlands are open for informal public recreation. A special management grant, which was also introduced in 1991 as part of the woodland grant scheme, is available for owners of existing woodlands of special environmental value where work is carried out to set up, maintain or improve facilities for public access or recreation.
The Forestry Commission has agreed to pay the community woodland supplement in over 250 cases, covering nearly 2,000 hectares of new woodland; special management grants, for access of recreation, have also been agreed for over 750 cases covering some 32,000 hectares. Detailed information on each of these areas could be provided only at disproportionate cost.