§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2000,Official Report, column 723W, on tree felling licences, if he will place a copy of the licence referred to in the Library. [114430]
§ Mr. MorleyI have arranged for a copy of the tree felling licence for Avon Heath Country Park to be placed in the Library.
§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2000,Official Report, column 723W, on tree felling
Year ending 31 March Location Number of trees licensed for felling Size of area (hectares) Expiry date 1996 Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk 390 3.7 March 1988 1997 Nil — — — 1998 Stowborough Nature Reserve, Dorset 200 0.6 April 2000 1998 Grange Heath, Dorset 800 8.0 September 1999 1998 Sandy Warren, Bedfordshire 2,680 2.6 February 2000 1998 Aldringham Walks, Suffolk 180 5.0 October 1999 1999 Avon Heath Country Park, Dorset 86,000 77.9 January 2004 1999 Sandy Warren, Bedfordshire 15 0.1 March 2001 2000 Grange Heath, Dorset 210 0.5 January 2004
§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library a copy of the preliminary guidance drawn up by the Forestry130W licences, if he will identify in respect of each of the breaches the owner or organisation responsible and the nature of the breaches alleged. [114386]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 13 March 2000]: In the last five years, three owners were successfully prosecuted for breaches of tree felling licences. One owner had felled unapproved trees within the approved area; his conviction is now spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. The other two owners, Mr. L. B. Holliday and Mr. C. A. P. Duncombe, had both felled trees outside the approved area.
In the other breaches investigated by the Forestry Commission over the last five years the owners were not successfully prosecuted so it would not be appropriate to give their names. In each case they had either felled trees outside the approved area or felled unapproved trees within the approved area.
§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 7 March 2000,Official Report, columns 581–82W, on tree felling licences, what was the size and location of each area covered by the licences; and how long each licence is to remain in force. [114213]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The size, location and expiry dates of tree felling licences granted to the RSPB in each of the last five years are given in the table.
Commission as to how its staff when considering felling licences should respond to potential conflict arising from the EU requirement to restore heathland habitats in Dorset 131W and the need to retain trees as a habitat for woodland birds and as an amenity landscape feature. [114322]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Forestry Commission's guidance to staff on this issue is given on pages 13, 14 and 29 of the Forestry Commission's publication "Lowland Heaths and Forestry", a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The Commission is currently drafting more detailed guidance for its staff, and I have asked the Commission to send the hon. Member a copy of the first draft.