House of Commons Written Answers 9 November 2010
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many acres of land the Forestry
Commission (a) owns, (b) manages and (c) otherwise has
responsibility for. [22494]
Mr Paice: The public forest estate is owned
by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and placed
at the disposal of the Forestry Commissioners under section (3)1 of the
Forestry Act 1967. It comprises 18% of total forest area in England; 13% is
owned by other public bodies and 69% is in private hands.
As at 31 March 2010 the public forest estate in
England comprised 198,298 hectares (490,005 acres) of freehold land and 57,692
hectares (142,560 acres) of leasehold land. In addition the Forestry Commission
manages 1,701 hectares (4,203 acres) of land in England under long-term
management agreements.