This chapter provides background information on the statistics presented in this release. It covers the data sources and methodology used to produce the statistics, information on quality measures and on any revisions to historic data and links to further information.

Further details on quality are provided in quality reports for selected topics and for individual surveys, available from our Quality web page at www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/about-our-statistics/code-of-practice/quality-of-official-statistics/.

As a National Statistics output, this publication concentrates on topics for which the data meet National Statistics quality standards. However some topics outside the scope of National Statistics are included, to give a more rounded picture; any such tables are footnoted as “outside the scope of National Statistics”. This means that they have not been subject to National Statistics quality assurance procedures, but does not necessarily imply that they are of poorer quality.  This edition of Forestry Statistics includes the following tables and charts that are outside the scope of National Statistics:

• Table 1.2: Woodland area in the UK (time series);
• Tables 1.6 to 1.11, figures 1.3 to 1.4b: National Forest Inventory;
• Table 1.15: Felling licences;
• Tables 1.16a and 1.16b: Statutory Plant Health Notices;
• Table 2.4a: Softwood availability forecasts;
• Table 2.4b: Hardwood availability forecasts;
• Table 2.30: Recycled wood used for woodfuel;
• Tables 4.1 to 4.4, Figures 4.2 to 4.3: UK forests and climate change;
• Figure 5.2: Tree health;
• Tables 5.2a and 5.2b: Woodland fires;
• Tables 6.1 to 6.10, Figure 6.1: Recreation;
• Table 8.2, figure 8.2: IPD UK Forestry Index;
• Tables 9.1 to 9.6, Figures 9.1 to 9.7: International forestry.