asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Government have for an increased forestry programme in Northern Ireland.

The forestry programme in Northern Ireland is now the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland under the Executive.

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply. In view of the fact that there are vast areas of land in the Six Counties which are virtually undeveloped and that within a year or two we shall be importing over £1,000 million worth of timber per annum, will my hon. Friend make representations in the usual way to the effect that a possibly useful way of deploying some of that land may be through increased forestry programmes?

Much as I should like to tell of the forests of Northern Ireland and the facilities there, because I have seen them for myself, this matter is now really for the Northern Ireland Executive.