(S4O-00220) Forestry Commission Scotland (Leased Farmland)

Roderick Campbell (North East Fife) (SNP): 7. To ask the Scottish Government how much farmland is leased to Forestry Commission Scotland. (S4O-00220)

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):

Forestry Commission Scotland manages a total of 11,306 hectares of leased land, including 320 hectares of land at Loch Katrine that continues to be used for agricultural purposes. In 2010, FCS launched a land-leasing scheme aimed at creating productive woodland in partnership with farmers. Although a number of applications have been received and are being progressed, none has reached final agreement.

The Presiding Officer: I call Roderick Campbell. [Interruption.] One moment, please. The member’s microphone is not on. [Interruption.] Maybe you could just shout, Mr Campbell.

Roderick Campbell: How far does the minister believe that land leased to Forestry Commission Scotland will go towards meeting the planting target of 10,000 hectares a year?

The Presiding Officer: I hope that you got that, minister.

Stewart Stevenson: Yes, Presiding Officer, I got the essence of that quite clearly. After all, someone who is engaged in the courts will be used to projecting their voice.

It is clear that leasing can play an important role. The cost of afforesting a hectare of ground under leasing arrangements is about 50 to 55 per cent of the cost of purchasing and then afforesting that land. Therefore, it is a useful supplement to the other efforts that Forestry Commission Scotland is making to meet our target of moving from 17.5 per cent of our country being afforested to 25 per cent.