§ Mr. Peter DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many disposals of land(a) under 100 acres and (b) over 100 acres have been completed by the Forestry Commission in (i) Scotland, (ii) England and (iii) Wales. [101739]
§ Mr. MorleyThe subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by Forest Enterprise. I asked its Chief Executive, Dr. Bob McIntosh, to arrange a written response.
Letter from Bob McIntosh to Mr. Peter Duncan, dated March 2003:
371WI refer to your question asking the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for details of sales of Forestry Commission land.I set out below details of the number of cases of forestry land sold this financial year.
(40 hectares) Country Under 100 acres Over 100 acres Scotland 15 5 England 6 1 Wales 1 1 I hope that you will find this helpful.
§ Mr. Peter DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her policy towards Forestry Commission disposals of land to(a) community purchase and (b) smallholding farmers. [101742]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Forestry Commission operates a sponsorship scheme by which bodies with environmental responsibilities or interests and local communities may be given a preferential opportunity to acquire surplus property which has been identified for sale and which has either a recreational, conservation or amenity interest or is of interest to a local community for their social and economic development.
Communities may purchase such surplus on condition that they gain sponsorship from the relevant Government Department or Agency. The sponsorship is, in effect, a statement from the Department or Agency certifying that a sale direct to the community would be more in the public interest than selling the land on the open market. The District Valuer determines the sale price.
There is no specific policy in respect of sales of land to Smallholding Farmers. However, the Commission usually sells surplus agricultural land on the open market. Where the land is tenanted, the farmer would be given a prior opportunity to purchase.