§ Lord Moranasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish further details of the new forest standard referred to by the Prime Minister in his speech at the UN General Assembly Special Session on 23 June which he said would provide a benchmark for the regeneration of our forests.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office (Lord Sewel)The UK forest standard will be part of the UK's programme for applying the principles agreed at the Earth Summit in Rio. It will provide a benchmark for the sustainable management of forests and it will include guidance on how critical operations such as felling and planting should be planned and carried out. The first draft was circulated 87WA widely last year, and a revised draft, taking account of the comments received, will be distributed soon. We expect to publish the final version later this year.