Tools and Resources
Table 8.4 provides information on net expenditure on public forests by the Forestry Commission in Great Britain. This covers expenditure less income for land that is owned or managed by the Forestry Commission. Other expenditure by the Forestry Commission is covered in Table 8.5.
The Forestry Commission’s functions in Wales transferred to a new organisation, Natural Resources Wales (NRW), on 1 April 2013. Figures for Wales on a comparable basis are currently unavailable.
Net expenditure on public forests by the Forestry Commission in 2017-18 totalled £40 million. This comprised £24 million in Scotland and £16 million in England.
Recreation, conservation & heritage accounted for £73 million of the total expenditure in 2017-18, harvesting & haulage for £37 million and other expenditure on public forests for £97 million.
Timber sales generated a total income of £111 million in 2017-18. Recreation, conservation & heritage accounted for a further £32 million and other income from public forests for £23 million.
Table 8.4 Funding public forests – net expenditure1,2,3, 2013-14 – 2017-18
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | ||
| £ million | ||||||
| GB | ||||||
| Harvesting & haulage | Expenditure | 35.1 | 36.6 | 37.9 | 35.9 | 36.8 |
| Recreation, etc4 | Expenditure | 63.3 | 70.2 | 67.8 | 70.9 | 72.8 |
| Other | Expenditure | 89.7 | 81.9 | 89.2 | 89.0 | 96.5 |
| Timber | Income | -100.7 | -103.1 | -99.1 | -104.3 | -111.3 |
| Recreation, etc4 | Income | -21.3 | -24.3 | -24.8 | -29.6 | -32.1 |
| Other | Income | -25.8 | -25.1 | -26.8 | -27.7 | -23.1 |
| Net expenditure | 40.3 | 36.2 | 44.2 | 34.2 | 39.6 | |
| England | ||||||
| Harvesting & haulage | Expenditure | 10.9 | 9.8 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 11.3 |
| Recreation, etc4 | Expenditure | 39.0 | 41.8 | 45.0 | 49.7 | 49.4 |
| Other | Expenditure | 29.1 | 24.5 | 29.2 | 31.3 | 32.9 |
| Timber | Income | -35.5 | -37.3 | -36.7 | -38.9 | -43.4 |
| Recreation, etc4 | Income | -15.8 | -18.3 | -21.1 | -26.2 | -28.3 |
| Other | Income | -12.9 | -11.1 | -9.3 | -8.6 | -5.8 |
| Net expenditure | 14.8 | 9.4 | 17.7 | 17.9 | 16.1 | |
| Scotland | ||||||
| Harvesting & haulage | Expenditure | 24.2 | 26.8 | 27.3 | 25.3 | 25.5 |
| Recreation, etc4 | Expenditure | 24.3 | 28.4 | 22.8 | 21.2 | 23.4 |
| Other | Expenditure | 60.6 | 57.4 | 60.0 | 57.7 | 63.6 |
| Timber | Income | -65.2 | -65.8 | -62.4 | -65.4 | -67.9 |
| Recreation, etc4 | Income | -5.5 | -6.0 | -3.7 | -3.4 | -3.8 |
| Other | Income | -12.9 | -14.0 | -17.5 | -19.1 | -17.3 |
| Net expenditure | 25.5 | 26.8 | 26.5 | 16.3 | 23.5 | |
Source: Forestry Commission
Notes:
1. Forestry Commission expenditure only. Excludes expenditure incurred by other departments.
2. Excludes notional cost of capital and any surplus/deficit on sale of properties.
3. Excludes gain on revaluation of biological assets and value of timber felled.
4. Recreation, etc includes conservation and heritage.
Sources chapter: Finance & prices