Thank you for publishing Mr Sykes’ letter (Gazette, February 10) correcting MP Claire Perry’s comments about the Forestry Commission.

In the Commons, on February 2, Mrs Perry claimed “we are doing a far better job to protect public woodlands than the last Government, who sold off 25,000 acres with no consultation”.

She was being very economical with the truth. She knew that, as part of the spending review, the Coalition was selling off some 98,000 acres or 15 per cent of the publicly-owned forests with no consultation whatsoever.

Only after the huge public outcry was this sale put on hold “until extra protections on access and biodiversity are put in place” (Defra press release, February 11).

But still no consultation on those sales. The consultation process now under way is about getting rid of the other 85 per cent of the nation’s forests.

And we still do not know whether West Woods and their bluebells will appear in the disposal list for the first or second round of sell-offs, who will buy them or whether access will remain the same or how the scheduled ancient monuments they hold will be protected.

Tony Millett, Clench Common, Marlborough.