HC Deb 22 July 1998 vol 316 cc555-7W
Mr. Gill

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received regarding the impact of current levels of imports of timber from the Baltic states on the United Kingdom timber processing industry. [50815]

Mr. Macdonald

My right hon. Friend and his ministerial colleagues have received several representations from individuals and from representative groups about the effect of imports of timber from the Baltic states on the forestry and timber processing industries.

Mr. Gill

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Forestry Industry Committee of Great Britain regarding the current level of supply of sawn timber. [50819]

Mr. Macdonald

My right hon. Friend received a letter from the Forestry Industry Council of Great Britain in February this year about current factors affecting the forestry industry, including the level of supply of sawn timber.

Mr. Gill

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the average selling price of softwoods harvested in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years. [50816]

Mr. Macdonald

The average selling prices of conifers sold standing by the Forestry Commission in Britain over each of the last 10 years are given in the table. Information on sales by the private sector is not available.

Year ended 31 March £/cubic metre
1989 15.80
1990 15.14
1991 13.75
1992 11.22
1993 12.33
1994 13.87
1995 17.28
1996 16.59
1997 15.92
1998 13.35

Mr. Gill

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the acreage of softwoods(a) planted and (b) harvested in each of the last 10 years. [50818]

Mr. Macdonald

The areas of conifers planted and felled or approved for felling in Britain in each of the last 10 years are given in the table. All areas are in thousands of hectares.

Year ended 31 March Area planted Area approved for felling
1989 37 12
1990 24 16
1991 22 15
1992 22 13
1993 20 18
1994 18 17
1995 19 18
1996 17 19
1997 18 18
1998 17 19

Notes:

1. The areas planted include both areas of felled woodland which were replanted and the areas of new woodlands which were created

2. The Forestry Commission does not record the areas felled by private woodland owners, but it does record the areas approved for felling. However, approvals are valid for a five year period, and many areas which are approved for felling are never felled