PMQs: Cameron 'not happy' with forest sell-off plans

David Cameron has told the Commons that he is not happy with the government's plans to sell off England's publicly owned forests.

At prime minster's questions on 16 February 2011, Labour leader Ed Miliband asked the prime minister: "Can you tell us whether you are happy with your flagship policy on forestry?"

Mr Cameron replied: "The short answer to that is 'no'."

Mr Miliband urged the government to drop the "ludicrous" policy and pointed out the "irony" that the Conservative Party's symbol was a tree.

It was announced last week that sales of 15% of public forests announced in last year's spending review will not go ahead until a review aimed at "significantly" strengthening woodland protections is completed.

Mr Cameron said ministers would listen to responses from a consultation outlining plans to dispose of the 258,000 hectares run by the Forestry Commission over the next 10 years.

Proposals include inviting charities to take on the ownership of "heritage forests", helping community groups buy or lease forests and a £250m sale of leaseholds for commercially valuable forests to timber companies.

The Labour leader suggested the government was consulting on "how to flog off the forests, not whether to flog off the forests".

But the PM said: "We have had a range of interesting responses to this consultation but I think what is important is that we should be making sure that whatever happens, we increase access to our forests, we increase biodiversity and we don't make the mistake that was made under the last government where they sold forests with no access rights at all."