1 February, 2017 - 16:59

On Tuesday the 24th of January Andy spoke in the debate on Forestry and tabled an amendment to the Scottish Government motion.

Government motion:

Developing Forestry in Scotland 
That the Parliament acknowledges the contribution that woods and forests make to Scotland’s people, communities, economy and environment; notes ministers’ intention to complete the devolution of forestry so that its management in Scotland is fully accountable to ministers and to the Parliament; welcomes the future increase in the Scottish Government’s annual target to create 15,000 hectares of woodland per year; recognises that forestry has an important role to play in achieving Scotland’s climate targets, and calls on the Scottish Government to take effective action in order to deliver the target and maintain the National Forest Estate as an asset for the nation.

Andy's amendment:

Developing Forestry in Scotland 
As an amendment to motion S5M-03573 in the name of Fergus Ewing (Developing Forestry in Scotland), leave out from “calls on” to end and insert “; further recognises that forestry expansion should form part of the land reform agenda to increase social and co-operative forest ownership, and calls on the Scottish Government to bring forward proposals for reform of the governance of the National Forest Estate to enable a wider range of bodies to manage it."