division_name: Opposition Day &#8212; [10th Allotted Day] &#8212; Public Forest Estate (England)
motion: <p class="" pid="a.925.2/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a.925.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">That this House believes that the Government's intention in the Public Bodies Bill to sell off up to 100 per cent. of England's public forestry estate is fundamentally unsound; notes that over 225,000 people have signed a petition against such a sell-off; recognises the valuable role that the Forestry Commission and England's forests have made to increasing woodland biodiversity and public access, with 40 million visits a year; further recognises that the total subsidy to the Forestry Commission has reduced from 35 per cent. of income in 2003-04 to 14 per cent. of income in 2010-11; further notes that the value of the ecosystems services provided by England's public forest estate is estimated to be &#163;680 million a year; notes that the value of such services could increase substantially in the future through the transition to a low carbon economy as a carbon market emerges; notes that the public forest estate has been retained in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and calls on the Government to rethink its decision on the sale of England's public forest estate in order to protect it for future generations.</p>
  
  <p class="" pid="a.935.0/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move an amendment, to leave out from "House" to the end of the Question and add:</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="a.935.0/2" pwmotiontext="yes">"deplores the actions of the previous administration in selling off 25,000 acres of public forestry estate with wholly inadequate protections; notes that the previous administration sought to go even further in finding ways to exploit the forestry estate for commercial gain as recently as 2009; welcomes the consultation proposals to guarantee the future protection of heritage forests by offering them charitable trust status; supports the consultation proposals for robust access and public benefit conditions that will be put in place through lease conditions, including access rights for cyclists and horse-riders; believes the leasehold conditions regarding biodiversity and wildlife conservation will safeguard significant important environmental benefits; sees these proposals as important in resolving the conflict of interest whereby the Forestry Commission is the regulator of the timber sector whilst being the largest operator in the England timber market; considers that debate on the future of the forest estate ought to be conducted on the basis of the facts of the Government's proposals; and believes that under these proposals people will continue to enjoy the access and benefits they currently have from the woodlands of England."</p>
  
  <p pid="a.970.3/1" pwmotiontext="yes"> Question put accordingly, (<phrase class="standing-order" code="31(2)" pwmotiontext="yes">Standing Order No. 31(2)</phrase>), That the original words stand part of the Question.</p>
  
  <p pid="a.970.3/2" pwmotiontext="yes"><i> The House divided:</i> Ayes 260, Noes 310.</p>