To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the total net cost to the Exchequer of the Forestry Commission in each year from 2002–03 to 2004–05 (planned); what assessment has been made of the value for money of this expenditure; and if she will make a statement. [105079]
The estimated total net cash cost of the Forestry Commission for the periods requested is given in the following table. These figures reflect the Commission's activities in England and those which apply to the GB as a whole, such as forestry research.
£000
| |
Net Cash Cost
| |
| 2002–03 | 63,398 |
| 2003–04 | 61,333 |
| 2004–05 | 58,183 |
To ensure value for money from these inputs, the Forestry Commission has a Service Delivery Agreement (SDA) for the spending review period. The SDA, which specifies the outputs that the Commission must achieve, can be viewed on the Commission's website at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/hcou-4u4j85. Performance against the targets is reported in Defra's Departmental Report.