subject: Save Our Forests - Mary Creagh MP, Tells us Whats Next [print this page] Save Our Forests - Mary Creagh MP, Tells us Whats Next
In March CheapTents talked to Arlene McCarthy, an MEP for the North West, about the idea of forestry sales by the coalition government in the UK. From talking to Arlene it was very clear that not only did the British public not think the sale of 85% of Brtiish woodland was a good idea, but clearly the labour party disliked the idea also.
The bill itself "the public bodies bill" was not in question but rather a set of clauses within the bill, which talked about not just the sale of English forestry but also the dissolvement of the forestry comission who look after our great wood. Most of the bill has been rushed through both the commons and lords, however these clauses had to be opened upto debate and public consultation. Within a few days of opening the consultation 10,000 people had taken part, pretty much all showing anger at the policy. The day after our interview with Arlene, Secretary for Environment Caroline Spelman made a speech to the commons, in which she apologised for being wrong on this matter and withdrew the clauses from the bill at this point. (You can view this apology on the BBC website). During her speech Ms Spelman also told of how a panel would be established to form recommendations on the sale of the woodland, which would be independant and report back to her in the autumn time. - As I type this it is still unclear who will make up the panel, will it include campaigners or just political types, researchers or just people who may tow the tory party lines.
Just last week we spoke to Mary Creagh, Shadow Sec for Environment, about the clauses (now removed), the campaigns around them and other things of matter to outdoor enthusiasts.
When CheapTents sat down with Ms Creagh the first thing we asked was how do we ensure the forestry commission is safe and secure both now and for the future. To which Ms Creagh spoke of a recent debate (see http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=7727) and outlined 5 key questions that the government must answer: "Who will sit on the new panel of experts being set up to examine forestry policy in England? -How will the government guarantee the independence of the panel? -Will the panel meet in public? -How can the Government deliver better woodland access and biodiversity when the Forestry Commission is cutting its staff by a quarter over the next three months? -In January the Government announced a new regulation taskforce to look at promoting competition in the forestry sector. Ministers have not said how the taskforce will relate to their new independent panel, particularly when it will look at improving protections for our forests. What role will this taskforce play alongside the independent panel?" all of which are of course vitally important.
On question that was at the forefront of our minds and that of our readers (many of whom had asked us this question) was whether this bill could possibly come back in another form, even after the panel has fed back. To which the ultimate answer from Ms Creagh was "no" any attempt to bring back such a bill would be almost instantly kicked from the house by the Labour Party on behalf of those many thousands who campaigned to save our forests.
We also asked Mary about several other outdoor stories, including theCountryside Rights of Way (CRoW) act and whether there was any sign that the act had been effective. Ms Creagh replied "The Countryside and Rights of Way Act brought in the long-awaited Right to Roam, opening up about 1 million hectares of some of the finest landscapes in England and Wales. I think it has been a massive success and is testament to groups such as theRamblers Association who campaigned so effectively to open up access to the countryside to the general public."
You can read the full interview with Mary Creagh on the CheapTents Blog today.
