I WRITE with reference to Julie Hayes’ article, “Controversial forest sell-off delay backed” (The Press, February 12) Anne McIntosh, the Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, is quoted as saying: “We do not want to make the same mistakes as the Labour government did when they sold off thousands of acres of forests.”

I think it is worth pointing out that a Conservative government started the forest sales programme in the early eighties. Many woods in the North and West Yorkshire areas of the Pennines were disposed of, together with areas in South Yorkshire, on the Wolds in East Yorkshire, and in parts of the North York Moors. I believe the incoming Labour government put a brake on this for some time, only restarting sales in the latter part of its reign.

RJA Ayre, Beckside, Elvington, York.