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Unite welcomes forests U-turn but warns job cuts will cripple the Forestry Commission

17 February 2011

Unite, the UK's biggest union, has welcomed the announcement by Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Caroline Spelman that the government has abandoned plans to sell-off England's forests, but warned that planned job cuts will seriously damage the Forestry Commission.

The government today (Thursday, 17 February) scrapped the public consultation exercise on the future of the public forest estate, and withdrew clauses relating to the Forestry Commission from the Public Bodies Bill in the face of huge public anger over the plans, which would have allowed Ministers to sell-off the entire forest estate in England. But Unite, which represents hundreds of Forestry Commission staff, has warned that the organisation will be crippled by planned job cuts, which will go ahead despite the u-turn.

Unite national officer, Ian Waddell, said: "We welcome the announcement today and are glad to see the back of such a hare-brained scheme. The public have demonstrated their support for a properly resourced Forestry Commission, providing access, recreation, education and biodiversity guarantees.

"Unfortunately, the government's cut of over 25% of the budget remains in place, and over 400 committed Forestry Commission staff will lose their jobs. This loss of expertise will cripple the Forestry Commission, fundamentally undermining all the things the public value."

Mr Waddell also sounded a note of caution about the government's plan to appoint a panel of 12 experts to determine the future of the public forests.

Mr Waddell added: "We must ensure that this is not just a repackaging of the sell-off plans. The panel must be balanced and independent, not government nodding dogs put there to deliver land sales when the heat has died down. We strongly believe that Forestry Commission staff, the experts in the field, should have a place on the Panel."

ENDS

For further information contact Ian Waddell on 07768 931269 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite press office on 020 7420 8914 or 07980 224761.