CAMPAIGNERS in the Dean have welcomed a pledge by the government to remove the 'threat' posed to England's forests by a Bill currently going through Parliament.

A single clause in the Infrastructure Bill set alarm bells ringing and campaigners, including Forest-based HOOF, have spent months campaigning against it.

The charge against Clause 21 was led in the House of Lords by Baroness Jan Royall of Blaisdon – who has tabled amendments calling for public forests to be excluded from the Bill.

The Bill is currently being scrutinised by the House of Lords but Clause 21 – which the government says will cut bureaucracy by allowing surplus land owned by "arms-length" public bodies to transfer directly to the Homes and Communities Agency for disposal – has been controversial.

Critics of the Bill have said that assurances from the government that forest land would not be sold were not enough and that an exemption should be included if the Bill becomes law.

In the Report stage debate last Wednesday (November 5) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, Lord Ahmad, gave the assurance campaigners have spent months fighting for.

He said: "I assure all noble Lords that the government have no plans to dispose of the public forest estate and the powers contained in Clause 21 of the Infrastructure Bill do not present a threat to the future of the estate in public hands.

"The estate is not surplus, and it is not owned by an arm's-length body.

"It has become increasingly clear to me during the course of the debate that there is still strong feeling in the House that this is an important issue on which the government need to reflect further.

"Therefore, I shall seek to bring an amendment back to the House at Third Reading that will seek to exempt the public forest estate from transfer to the Homes and Communities Agency."

Baroness Royall said: "I am extremely grateful to the Minister for listening as he knows words are simply not enough.

"I look forward to him coming back to put an amendment in the Bill that ensures the protection of the public forests."

Earlier in the debate she had used the example of a wood near Coleford to underline the need for forests to be specifically excluded from the Bill.

She said: "In 2011, Bircham Wood was sold despite the fact that when the Forest of Dean was exempted from the disposals part of the Forestry Act 1981, Hansard (the Parliamentary record) recorded the intention also to exempt the associated woodlands.

"When the Forestry Commission land agent was challenged about the sale, he said that as Bircham Wood was not named in the 1981 Act, the Act did not apply to it.

"On such small omissions, confusions and accidents do these matters rest."

The minister's statement was also welcomed by Forest MP Mark Harper who said: "While it has been generally accepted that this government's policy of keeping the Public Forest Estate in public ownership is clear, I do understand the concerns being raised by some of my constituents about the possible actions of future governments.

"Given this, the promised amendment is welcome to allay those concerns.

"As Lord Ahmad recognised in the House, I have personally raised this issue with ministers, making clear the strength of feeling in my constituency. I am glad that the government has listened to those concerns and responded accordingly."

HOOF secretary Owen Adams said: "This is an important victory for all of us – that is, the 40 million people per year who visit England's forests."

As the Bill was being debated in the Lords, a torchlit procession organised by HOOF was taking place at Mallard's Pike . *For more pictures see other story