Source

The Daily Telegraph claims to have seen a list of at-risk quangos. According to the Tory newspaper, Cycling England is on a list of 177 quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations which will be definitely scrapped. The Forestry Commission is on a 94-strong list of public bodies “still under review” by the Coalition Government.

Ok bit dramatic, but looks like Cycling England is on the way out.

i think that the 7 stanes are mostly to be found in scotland.

7 Stanes is setting itself up as a Community Interest Company so enlikely to be axed 🙂

I believe I am right in saying that Forestry commission in Scotland answer to Holyrood not Westminster so its nowt to do with Cameron.

I seriously doubt they would actually axe the Forestry Commission – who would manage all the land they cover? The commercial rights to operate the land could in theory be leased though I guess.

TJ – good question*. FCS does report to Scottish ministers but in terms of FOI requests FCS are a Scottish arm of a uk-Govt dept, hence they are goverened by FOIA not the Scotland act. I think FCS will be technically considered a UK body and subject to Scamerons proposals, although not 100% sure.

In any case the SMBDC quango love-in will come shuddering to a halt soon (not that it was going anywhere fast in the last 3 years)

*even though it wasn’t a question 🙂

neninja – it could easily be done – tender for companies to take on the management and commercial operations. Could even be sold on mass. it would be fairly stupid to do so however.

davidrusell – could be interesting.

Forestry Commission Scotland serves as the forestry directorate of the Scottish Government.

From the FC site.

could the freedom of information stuff be because the IT systems are still UK wide?

I bet Wee Eck would be frothing if Cameron tried to sell off scottish forests – but didn’t he have some leasing plan in mind a year or two ago?

What about English sites then? Are places like Whinlatter, Kielder, Dalby, Hamsterley, Chopwell(!) under threat.

I think the FC is a prime target for this Govt to sell off. They tried last time they were in power in the 90’s. It’s all part of the Tory dogma and I doubt that has changed.

1 word, w***ers

2 words; won’t happen.

TJ – not sure why FOI stuff defers to UK govt, but I agree that FCS is responsible to Scottish Ministers.

IIRC the SNP made a manifesto pledge to merge SEPA and FCS and it hasn’t happened so either it tried and failed or they haven’t bothered to do it.

1 word: FAIL

3 more words:

Read the thread.

The Churchill dog

Mike Russell

come to think of it the jowly insurance hound Mike Russell did float a plan to sell off some forest, but I think that was roundly criticized in the press a wee while back.

Read the thread.

plainly i’m wallowing in fail so spell out your point caller.

This from the SIC explains the jurisdictional issues:

http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/web/FILES/ElectedfactsheetD.pdf#search=”forestry commission”

(Er, at point D3 !)

This will be a bit english biased because there are different agencies doing the same role in Scotland and Wales.

FC is down as under review rather than scraping. Same with the environment agency (EA) and natural england (NE). Its more likely they’ll be looking at options to merge some of them. EA and NE is always being put forward as one in England. Not sure how they could merge FC with anything else, dont even think they could hive off Forest Enterprise and merge that with NE in England. Creates problems though with Wales and Scotland as they are outside Natural England control.

I’ve got to say, “Forestry Commission Axed” would make a great tabloid headline now wouldn’t it.

Another STW = STROP OUT!!!

I would think that Forestry Commission Set for the Chop would make an equally good headline.

Might be myth but I thought Chopwell the first forestry commision woodland. So for the chop wood be a fitting headline for the end.

Didn’t the forestry commission spring from the need for vast quantities of wood for the trenches in the first world war?

So it’s actually a part of the military-industrial complex, albeit a pretty one.

Makes as much sense to keep it as it does to replace Trident.

And away……

Having quoted the man himself, i wonder what Dave Angel would make of all this?

I think the current practice of selling off small chunks of woodland will accelerate but it’s pretty unlikely we’ll see the forestry commission disappear completly. There’ be a massive uproar across the middle classes if access to the forests was lost, there’s plenty of people ohter than riders out there who use the forests. Under review probably means reducing the size of, reducing spending etc., no new projects probably but that was likely with the spending cuts anyway.

Tories in ‘selling everything’ shocker.

I bet Wee Eck would be frothing if Cameron tried to sell off scottish forests

The new Forth Crossing has got to be funded somehow… Or they could build it with wood 😉

As someone who has contracted through the F.C, in both England and Scotland I can say that there’s been a negative undercurrent running throughout the English side for some time (in my experience). Many who have been with the F.C for some years are almost preparing themselves for bad news or at the best, massive change. The last few years has already seen alterations and many reductions to operation, in what looks like the result of financial restriction. The Scottish side is both separate and somewhat stronger. (again, only my experience, working in small portions on both sides of the border)