§ Mr. WilshireTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Spelthorne of 6 January 2004 regarding Mr. M. Gillard of Staines. [154345]
§ Alun MichaelMy hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State responded on 16 February 2004.
§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to her reply to the hon. Member for Pendle of 6 November 2003 on the dedication of land tinder section 16 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, how she followed up correspondence to Government Departments; what has been the response; what further steps will be taken to promote dedication to public and private landowners; and whether incentives will be made available. [155557]
§ Alun MichaelI was pleased to issue non-statutory guidance to accompany the regulations on dedication in January this year. The Forestry Commission is currently in the process of using the guidance to make the first few dedications across its freehold estate.
I will be writing to a number of other large landowners in the public and private sectors soon to ask them to confirm their plans for dedicating land and am optimistic that this will lead to further successes. My officials are also considering ways to encourage dedications more widely.