Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

Journal Column 2nd February 2011

The list of ill thought-out policy announcements by the UK Government appears to be growing week  by week .  Recently, Westminster’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced its intention “to fundamentally reform the public forestry estate, with diminishing public ownership and a greater role for private and civil society partners” –  in the other words  selling off national forests to make a quick buck.

“The national forest is an important asset to Wales, providing access, employment, support for the timber and tourism industries and has a major role to play in helping us to tackle climate change”.  Those were the words of Elin Jones AM – Plaid Cymru Minister for Rural Affairs in the Welsh Government who confirmed recently that forestry is a devolved matter and that the Government  of Wales  had no intention   of selling off our national forest. 

Given an announcement earlier this month by the Conservative Secretary of State for DEFRA that she would like to see the Single Farm Payment for farmers abolished (80% – 90% of farming income in Wales is derived from these payments), it is increasingly evident that the Westminster government  continually disregards   the needs to Wales.

But the icing on the cake in terms of Westminster’s plan to sell off forests in England is that they seem to have forgotten all about the England Woodland Grant Scheme which could allow the new landowner to apply for funds to grow and cut timber.  It was noted just a couple of years ago that logging firms could cut down trees planted at the expense of the taxpayer, walk away with the profits and then be given money to plant again.

In this policy announcement the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are undoubtedly having trouble seeing the wood for the trees.

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