Forestry Commission Scotland has performed another U-turn and added a second new member to its woodland expansion advisory committee – just a week after it said there was no space for other representatives on it.

The appointment of Stuart Goodall, the chief executive of the Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor), emerged yesterday just hours after Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead told a Banffshire farmer he was now taking a personal interest in the committee and its membership.

The committee’s make-up has prompted fury as several industry groups have been excluded.

Alastair Nairn, of Clashnoir, Glenlivet, was given the assurance by Mr Lochhead after e-mailing him to express alarm at the number of civil servants from government and its quangos on the group while farming and forestry organisations, particularly Confor, the Scottish Crofters Federation and the National Sheep Association Scotland (NSA), were snubbed.
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