asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the total acreage of forests and forestry lands owned by his Department at the most recent date.
Written Answers. - Forestry Lands.
601.
The total area of land owned by the Forest and Wildlife Service of my Department on 31 December 1983 was 966,518 acres, comprising — 780,420 acres of land under forestry; a reserve of 94,151 acres including a substantial acreage which, being subject to grazing and turbary rights etc., is not immediately available for planting; and 91,946 acres of other land generally unsuitable for planting but with some potential for wildlife and amenity development.
602.
asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the total value, at the most recent date, of the forests which are owned by his Department.
The precise value is not readily available. The difficulties in arriving at such an assessment were set out in some detail in reply to a question on 4 November 1982 (Vol. 338 No. 5 Column 1144). As indicated therein, a very rough estimate of the value of the forest estate, including land and standing timber, would be of the order of £500 million.