§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy on community forests. [2656]
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesThe Government are committed to the expansion of forests close to where people live, with benefits for local communities. We have introduced a range of measures to achieve this aim. The woodland grant scheme offers a community woodland supplement to encourage the creation of new woodlands close to towns and villages, and an annual management grant which can contribute towards the cost of providing public access in existing woodlands. We recently announced a new woodland improvement grant project to encourage owners to provide new facilities for informal public recreation in existing woodlands and a locational supplement for planting in the Aman Gwendraeth community forest project area in south Wales. In addition, the Welsh Valleys initiative encourages local people to make full use of the Forestry Commission's forests through community involvement.