Oral Answers to Questions

Julian Huppert Excerpts

Thursday 3rd February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Paice]

The hon. Lady assumes that the RPA was working efficiently, but it certainly was not, as the previous question demonstrates. Yes, the reduction in overall public expenditure means that the RPA is having to take a reduction in staff alongside all other arm’s length bodies, but at the same time it is becoming far more efficient, with better work practices and a new chief executive who started a fortnight ago. I am convinced we can do better with less.

[Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)]

7. What plans she has to ensure that access to forests is maintained or improved.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman)]

The public forest estate consultation explores a range of models for the ownership and management of the estate and how important public benefits such as access can be maintained. An example would be how lease conditions could be used to ensure that access and other public benefits are protected.

[Dr Huppert]

In addition to established legal rights of way and Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 access rights, will the Secretary of State ensure that there are robust additional protections for access rights that are currently permitted access only, and will she safeguard existing access for bikes and horses?

[Mrs Spelman]

We had a lengthy debate last night in which I made it clear, at length, that permissive access rights are very limited in number and are on land that the public forest estate does not own.