---

Public Forest Estate (England)

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. My hon. Friend's point goes to the heart of the matter. The only legally enforceable rights are public access rights guaranteed under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The introduction of further ““higher rights”” would require changes to primary legislation. [Interruption.] Who will enforce the leases in 150 years' time? It is certain that none of us will be around to remember this debate at that time. Who will benefit from the sales? The Confederation of Forest Industries' website says that the price of commercial forests rose"““138% since 2002, which equates to a 17% average annual growth over the period””." So the forests that the Tories sold off in the 1980s and '90s have trebled or quadrupled in value. Where is the public benefit from those increased land values? There is none. Forestry land is exempt from inheritance tax after two years, and timber sales have no income tax or capital gains tax. When we sell our forests, the taxpayer loses many times over."““Private companies buying 75-year rights to woodland would naturally seek to maximise returns from timber extraction””—" [Interruption.] The Minister should allow me to finish my quote before chuntering; I think that he is going to like it:"““There is no sign that the consequences for conservation, recreation and tourism have been properly weighed up in these plans. The Government is using 'slash and burn' tactics””." Those are not my words; that was a press release from the current Chief Secretary to the Treasury in January 2009, when a similar plan was proposed by the Scottish Government. I do not see the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) in the Chamber today.