Scottish Labour’s Sarah Boyack today challenged First Minister Alex Salmond over the SNP government’s plans to lease 25 percent of Scotland ’s national forest estate over 75 years.

Ms Boyack said:

“The First Minister tried to suggest that his government’s plan were the same as those being pursued by the UK government, but Mr Salmond needs to get his facts right.

“The work proposed by the UK government will be done by the Forestry Commission themselves and is more about repositioning the forestry estate – just as the previous Labour administration in Scotland managed the Forestry Commission to get value for the public. It bears no relation to the SNP government’s proposals in scale or in substance.

“The SNP’s proposals would mean a fundamental shift in the way the forest estate operates. Over a quarter of Scotland ’s public forests would be managed by large overseas forestry companies.

“We are concerned the SNP’s protestations of no redundancies , no changes to access and protection for biodiversity are not promises they can keep. I will lodge questions to get the Scottish Government to give some clear answers on the record.”

30 November 2008