Speeches by Gardiner.

“You could use that, then. Let’s say an ancient woodland had been damaged and a third of it lost, in the way that you suggest. If you were planting new broadleaf species there to extend that woodland, would that not count under the carbon code?”

“Hunting comes back once again.”

“Actually, it has been done at Ceannacroc, an estate in Scotland. It may be a slightly different regime, but—”

“But it is used for restoration projects of ancient woodland.”

“Dr Kirby, you spoke of wet soils and spring gales being probably a bad combination, and we understand that there are edge effects on woodland. What difference does the size of the woodland make to its ability to withstand those wet soils and spring gales?”

“Our colleagues in Europe have lived with wolves as top predators quite amicably for many years, have they not?”

“If only I had known. We are talking about ancient woodland, going back to 1600. Landowners do not live for 400-odd years; they die, and sometimes they sell their land. I want you to give us some ideas on the woodland carbon code and the credits—the offsets—that are made under the code. You have the pending issuance uni…”

“Mr Tubby, you said you were not familiar with the UK’s temperate rainforests, so I will recommend a book to you: Guy Shrubsole’s “The Lost Rainforests of Britain” is well worth a read.”

“Oh, just one? Well, we will share it around and fight over who gets it first.”

“First of all, Dr Weatherall, thank you so much for bringing these books—”

“And a bigger propensity for damage. What can or should be done to protect those smaller woodland areas? Is there a way of trying to insulate them against those wet soils and spring gales?”

“More research is required there, too, is it?”

“That is really helpful; thank you. It is useful to have clarity that the different ages is what makes it more attractive to do that; there are not different ages here, but it makes more sense in areas where there are larger forests of different tree age. Dr Weatherall, you wanted to come in.”

“You are giving me what I asked for the other way around, in effect. I am asking what gives us a problem. Mr Tubby, you want to come in.”

“Please explain. What have we got wrong with our economic model—if I can put it that way—that means that in other countries it makes economic sense to do that, but it does not over here?”

“But they do this successfully elsewhere around the world. Why do we find it so difficult in this country when other countries do not?”

“It is my understanding that the information the Woodland Trust sent us suggested that—[Interruption.] Ah, there we go. I have started, so I will finish. The Woodland Trust estimates that “over 1,000 ancient woods are under direct threat from development across the UK and the Government’s planning agenda…looks set to wo…”

“Of course it is, but a private owner who is managing that crop will want to take it when it is mature and receive the benefits of their years of nurturing it.”

“Our information was that a large amount of timber plantations on ancient woodland would be felled. They are due to be harvested because they are coming to maturity.”

“Mr Tubby, is that something the Forestry Commission or Natural England might have?”