HC Deb 05 March 1996 vol 273 cc160-1W
Ms Roseanna Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which department of the Forestry Commission in Scotland was responsible for land purchases between(a) 1966 and 1970, (b) 1971 and 1980 and (c) 1981 and 1990. [19152]

Mr. Kynoch

The forestry commissioners were responsible for decisions on land purchase during these periods.

Ms Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list(a) the land currently owned by the Forestry Commission and (b) the estates owned by the Scottish Office, indicating which of these (i) are on the market for sale and (ii) can be affected by the right of feudal pre-emption. [19150]

Mr. Kynoch

The information is as follows:

  • (a) Lists of Forestry Commission woodlands in England, Scotland and Wales are in the Library.
  • (b) A list of the Scottish Office crofting estates is given in annexe A of the recently issued consultation paper on crofting trusts, a copy of which is in the Library. There are a further 17 lowland Scottish Office estates comprising a total of 452 hectares.
  • (i) A list of the Forestry Commission woodlands which are currently on the market for sale was given in my answer to the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 18 January 1996, Official Report, columns 773–76. None of the Scottish Office estates is currently on the market for sale.
  • (ii) Information on which of the Forestry Commission and Scottish Office land could be affected by the feudal right of pre-emption could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ms Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the sales of Forestry Commission land from 1980 and 1989, and 1990 to 1996 by(a) area, (b) prices obtained, (c) location and (d) date of sale. [19181]

Mr. Kynoch

Lists of land sold by the Forestry Commission between the introduction of the commission's disposals programme in July 1981 and December 1994 are in the Library of the House. A list of the sales in 1995 is in preparation and will be placed in the Library shortly.

Ms Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much of the Forestry Commission's annual budget in Scotland, expressed in(a) monetary value and (b) percentages was expended on land purchases each year from 1966 to 1991 inclusive. [19151]

Mr. Kynoch

The commission's annual reports and accounts, which are available in the Library, record the areas of land suitable for planting which the commission bought each year in Britain and their average cost. There is no separate record of the cost of the acquisitions in Scotland.

Ms Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many sales by the Forestry Commission the right of feudal pre-emption was applied in(a) 1980 to 1989 and (b) 1990 to 1996. [19182]

Mr. Kynoch

The Forestry Commission does not keep a central record of this information, which could be provided only at disproportionate cost.