My Lords, I do not begin to claim the same amount of expertise as the noble Lord, Lord Clark of Windermere, who of course is a former chairman of the Forestry Commission. We listen to him with huge respect on these matters.
I was puzzled by the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Royall, and was not quite sure about its precise aim until she explained. I was under the impression that when my noble friend Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon undertook to bring back amendments at this stage, he greatly satisfied the House. A very strong case had been made by the noble Baroness and by other noble Lords that there was a real need to declare in the Bill the protection of the public forestry estate. I supported that and I was very glad to hear my noble friend Lord Ahmad at the end of the debate recognise the strength of feeling in the House and undertake to come back at this stage with the amendments.
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Since then, I have read the letter that he circulated to us yesterday. It struck me that this spelt out very clearly how the amendments that my noble friend has tabled and to which she has spoken this afternoon seemed, at first sight, to go the whole way to giving the additional protection that the noble Baroness, Lady Royall, was seeking.
I understand the point about forest waste, but I have always felt that forest waste is an integral part of any forest. The noble Lord, Lord Clark of Windermere, mentioned car parks and huts. To my mind, it is inconceivable that a car park, which is sited in a forest for the purpose of visitors to the forest so that they can get there from wherever they are coming from and park a car so that they can from that point explore the forest, is not part of the forest. It must be part of the forest; it does not need to be specially mentioned.
I listened to the noble Baroness with some interest, but I am not clear even now that her amendment is necessary to achieve the protection that we all sought and which my noble friend Lord Ahmad was very clear that he was prepared to give. The amendments that my noble friend Lady Kramer will be moving really do meet the case. I remain to be persuaded that the amendments of the noble Baroness, Lady Royall, are additionally necessary.