| Allan Wilson:
We have made
several announcements about forestry in recent weeks, so the debate is
timely. Forestry is important to Scotland, although perhaps it is not as
important as the Conservatives' amendment suggests. One sixth of our land
is wooded. Forestry and primary wood processing provide jobs for about
10,000 of our fellow citizens, and every year about 2 million Scots visit
a wood or forest as part of a recreational trip.
The industry
contributes about £800 million to the Scottish economy, so it accounts
for about 0.5 per cent of our gross domestic product. It is not our third
biggest industry, as the Conservatives suggest, but its importance is proportionally
much greater in rural areas. There is no doubt that we need a thriving
forestry industry to promote the economic well-being of our rural areas.
Well-designed woods and forests also make a valuable contribution to our
environment by creating habitats for wildlife and enhancing our landscape.
The overarching
principle of our Scottish forestry strategy, which was published two years
ago in November 2000, is sustainability. Scottish forestry must contribute
positively to sustainable development and meet internationally recognised
standards of sustainable forest management. The other guiding principles
are integration, creating positive value, community support and reflecting
the rich diversity and local distinctiveness of different parts of Scotland.
The strategy
identified five key directions for the industry. The industry should maximise
the value to the Scottish economy of our wood resource, which will become
available for harvesting in the next 20 years, when we expect production
to double. It should create a diverse high-quality forest resource for
the future. It should also ensure that forestry contributes positively
to our environment, creates opportunities for more people to enjoy our
trees, woods and forests and helps communities to benefit from woods and
forests. The strategy also identified 23 priorities for action. At a Scottish
forestry forum meeting later this month, we will publish a progress report
on the implementation of our strategy.
Forestry is
a devolved matter, but it was agreed at the time of devolution that the
Forestry Commission should continue to deliver forestry policy. The commission
became a cross-border public authority with its head office in Edinburgh.
Three national offices were established, along with a Great Britain central
core. Following a recent review, we agreed with ministerial colleagues
in other Administrations that functions should shift significantly away
from the centre to strengthened national offices for Scotland, England
and Wales.
The national
office for Scotland will act as the Scottish Executive's forestry department
and be responsible for managing Scotland's national forests through a separate
Forest Enterprise in Scotland. That will give us closer control over how
our national forests are managed and ensure greater integration between
forestry policy and wider Scottish Executive policies.
Alasdair Morgan
(Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): Could
some of the headquarters jobs in Edinburgh be moved to another part of
Scotland, where they might be nearer the trees?
Allan Wilson:
That is a fair point. I support the dispersal
of civil service and Scottish Executive jobs. I understand that those jobs
and their prospective dispersal will be the subject of review.
We will continue
to work closely with Administrations south of the border on some issues.
For example, forest research will continue to be funded directly from Whitehall,
although the Scottish ministers, through the national office for Scotland,
will have considerable influence over how research funding is spent.
Rhona Brankin
(Midlothian) (Lab): Will the minister assure
me that the northern research station that is situated near the Bush estate
in Midlothian will be safe?
Allan Wilson:
I will look into the research station's safety and answer the member's
question in due course.
A ministerial
committee is being established to bring together the ministers with responsibility
for forestry in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. That committee
will meet regularly to oversee the new arrangements, to discuss the handling
of international issues and to agree on any other cross-cutting forestry
issues on which collaboration is advantageous. I am developing a concordat
between the Forestry Commission and the Executive to spell out how those
arrangements will work in practice. The main changes will be implemented
by April next year.
We have conducted
a major review of the forestry and woodland grant schemes to ensure that
the grants are properly aligned with the Scottish forestry strategy's priorities.
Subject to European Community approval, we plan to launch the Scottish
forestry grants scheme in April next year. The new grant scheme was developed
by a steering group that included representatives from the industry, farming
and crofting interests, environment groups, local authorities, the Forestry
Commission's national office for Scotland and the Scottish Executive's
environment and rural affairs department.
A key recommendation
of the group was that the use of our forestry grants should switch emphasis.
At present, about three quarters of the money is allocated to forestry
expansion and a quarter is for work to improve the environmental, social
and economic value of existing forests. We intend to shift that balance
significantly so that half the money will be used to improve existing forests
and half will be used to fund new woodlands.
One feature
of the new grant scheme will be better targeting of money for new woodlands.
In September, I announced a £1.85 million package of locational premiums
for central Scotland, Ayrshire, Grampian and the northern isles. I asked
for details to be worked out through local consultation and I am happy
to announce that Grampian forest forum has agreed that the locational premium
for Grampian forest should be £1,500 per hectare. That sum will be
available to farmers who want to diversify into forestry to create well-designed,
productive woodlands of 10 to 30 hectares on their land. Overall, we are
making provision of £26 million for forestry and woodland grants
next year. That should be compared with our highest-ever expenditure on
grants, which was £25 million in 2000-01.
We established
the Scottish forest industries cluster to help continue the development
of a strong forestry industry and to search for innovation in products
and markets. The cluster is a partnership between Scottish Enterprise and
the industry. Its key achievements include establishing a centre for timber
engineering and developing stronger links between the wood processing industry
and wood users, including architects and people who specify buildings for
procurement.
Mrs Margaret
Ewing (Moray) (SNP): Wood processing is an
important feature of the timber industry. Could the Executive's proposals
reduce the amount of timber that is exported for processing rather than
processed at home?
Allan Wilson:
I will talk about adding value to the wood production process. I agree
with the idea that we should ensure that much of that added value is created
in Scotland, where the timber is produced.
The cluster
is looking for new and less conventional ways of adding value to timber.
There is scope for making more use of wood for fuel. Practical seminars
on that subject have taken place in different parts of Scotland and I am
encouraged by the evidence from the projects that are under way.
There is no
doubt that the past few years have been difficult for the industry. Timber
and wood product prices are at historically low levels, which undoubtedly
poses major challenges throughout the industry. It against that difficult
background that the positive work of the Scottish forest industries cluster
group is so encouraging.
We want to encourage
more use of timber and to add value to that process. The Forestry Commission
is contributing to the generic marketing campaign "wood. for good". Last
month, the Forestry Commission, along with the Executive, Historic Scotland
and the architecture profession, organised a very well-attended conference
on timber and the built environment.
We recently
submitted a bid to the European Union for a €885,000 project to investigate,
with other nordic countries, ways of using external timber cladding in
maritime climates. Following the world summit on sustainable development
in Johannesburg, we agreed to examine ways of using our purchasing power
to promote the purchase of wood products from sustainable sources.
Another difficult
issue for the industry is the transportation of timber. There are places
where the only access to forests is along minor roads, which were never
designed for heavy use by timber traffic. I am pleased that the forestry
industry is now working closely with local authorities to try to identify
pragmatic solutions to those problems, including the preparation of agreed
route maps and demonstration projects that are aimed at developing cost-effect
road engineering solutions.
Alex Fergusson
(South of Scotland) (Con): Does the minister
think that part of that strategy should be the land locking of blocks of
timber by the closure of roads to forestry transport?
Allan Wilson:
I believe that those strategies are best worked
out at the local level between the industry and local authorities, as that
will produce solutions that are best suited to the local area. As the member
knows because we were in Dumfries together, I launched the agreed routes
map for Dumfries and Galloway and saw some of the imaginative engineering
developments that are taking place in that area.
Where possible,
more use is being made of sea and rail transport. That approach is being
encouraged through our freight facilities grants. In January, I will meet
representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the
forestry industry for further discussions on timber transport.
Forests are
also important attractions for tourists and visitors to Scotland. As members
know, we are running treefest Scotland 2002, which is a year-long initiative
to celebrate Scotland's trees, woods and forests. During the year, more
than 750 events are taking place throughout Scotland, including the Edinburgh
treefest event in Inverleith park; tree in the park in Hamilton, which
attracted 27,000 people over a weekend; and a major forestry machinery
demonstration, which a number of MSPs attended. That demonstration attracted
so many visitors that every hotel in that part of Dumfriesshire was fully
booked and provided a massive injection of money into the local economy.
In Perthshire,
the big tree country initiative has shown how joint promotional work can
increase the value of the local forest heritage to our local tourist industry.
How many members know that in Scotland we have the oldest living thing
in Europe? [Laughter.] It is not Winnie Ewing; it is the Fortingall yew.
In the Borders, Forest Enterprise is developing first-class mountain biking
facilities to attract more visitors to the area.
Our recent spending
review provided an additional £4 million for forest recreation facilities—especially
in national parks—and improvements to the natural heritage value of Scotland's
national forests. That significant injection of funding recognised the
importance of trees to tourism.
The Scottish
forestry strategy also aims to help communities benefit from woods and
forests. At present, around 50 community woodland groups in Scotland control
the ownership or management of about 20,000 hectares of woodland. A number
of large-scale community purchases of woodland have been made possible
through the Scottish land fund. To take forward that agenda, and to encourage
more community involvement in forestry, the Forestry Commission has established
a forestry for people advisory panel. Our proposed grant scheme will include
grants to support community woodland initiatives, which I am particularly
keen to develop in urban brownfield sites. Forest Enterprise will work
closely with many community groups on those initiatives.
We must also
ensure that Scotland's trees, woods and forests make a positive contribution
to the environment. That has not always been the case and the work of the
Forestry Commission in that respect was recently acknowledged by no less
than the WWF, which presented the commission with its gift to the earth
award in recognition of its substantial contribution to our national environment.
Our new grants
scheme will support work to improve the ecological value of native woodlands
and to enlarge them through the development of forest habitat networks.
We have recognised the plight of particular species and, in addition to
funding the creation of new and improved habitats for capercaillie, we
contributed £770,000—a not inconsiderable amount of money—to a programme
of work to remove redundant fences that might kill capercaillie, which
fly into them. We have also launched a black grouse recovery project in
Argyll and are mapping priority areas for red squirrel management in order
to secure their numbers against the predatory grey squirrel. Funding for
native woodland initiatives also comes from lottery funds and private and
voluntary sources. For example, BP is providing £1 million per year
over a 10-year period to support native woodland projects in Scotland.
I believe that
we have achieved a good deal since the launch of the strategy. We are also
putting in place important foundations for future development. Closer working
with others and within the Executive will improve the integration of our
rural land-use and environmental policies. In the meantime, the work of
the Scottish forest industry cluster group will help to develop and strengthen
our forest products industry. The new administrative arrangements for forestry
will ensure that we take full advantage of Scotland's significant forestry
resource, which is 70 per cent of the UK total.
In order to
give members a better feel for Scottish forestry and its tremendous potential,
I have arranged for copies of a new publication, "Scotland's Trees, Woods
and Forests", to be made available in the chamber. I hope that everyone
has a copy, as the booklet includes a well-written preface by me. It has
a lot of pictures, which will suit opposition members. [Laughter.] I encourage
members to read it.
We are determined
to work towards our vision that Scotland will be renowned as a land of
fine trees, woods and forests. They strengthen the economy, make a positive
contribution to our markets and enrich the natural environment that people
enjoy and value so much.
I move,
That the Parliament
notes the report of the Interdepartmental Review Group on Forestry; welcomes
the proposed changes to the administrative arrangements for forestry in
Scotland contained in that report; notes the proposals by an industry wide
steering group for a new Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme, and believes
these changes will help achieve the objectives set out in the Scottish
Forestry Strategy.
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