Memorandum submitted by the Director General
of the Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is
the principal government department responsible for forestry in
Great Britain. It is a cross-border public authority responsible
separately to Ministers in England, Scotland and Wales and collectively
on GB functions. The Commission is responsible for regulating
and supporting sustainable forest and woodland management (through
regulations, advice, partnerships and other means); for managing
the public forest estate in England, Scotland and Wales (through
its management agencies in each country); and for carrying out
programmes of forest and woodland research through its agency,
Forest Research. In England, the Commission is accountable to
the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
and is therefore fully supportive of the statement made by the
Secretary of State on publication of the Review.
The Forestry Commission shares
much of the analysis by Lord Haskins, in particular that the current
delivery landscape is complex and confusing for customers and
we believe that some rationalisation is needed. The Forestry Commission's
work is, and always has been, strongly focused on delivery—of
advice, grants, regulation, research, and as the steward of the
public forest estate. We believe that there is a strong case for
having an organisation with a very clear focus on forests and
woodlands. We recognise the Government's clear role in setting
the framework for policy and welcome the proposal that Defra has
a core strategic policy role which would involve forestry. As
a body with a strong focus on delivery, we also support the Secretary
of State's view that policy advice can be particularly valuable
when it comes from those involved in delivery.
We welcome the Secretary of
State's statement that the work done by the Forestry Commission
in England should be aligned with the proposed integrated agency
which will bring together elements of the work done by English
Nature, the Countryside Agency and the Rural Development Service.
We are working with Defra and the agencies affected to make practical
progress to formalise the arrangements for the agency.
26 November 2003
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