The death of Margaret Thatcher drew many comments on the negative influences of her policies on the industrial wellbeing of this country.

A negative aspect which I did not hear aired was her impact on rural areas, specifically the sale of Government-owned forestry land.

Swathes of forestry, family silver, were sold off. Forests were not advertised for sale on the open market and sale prices were not made public due to "commercial confidentiality". Many large landowners increased the acreage of their estates without any public accountability. At the time, the then Forestry Commission had guidelines stating that land would not be sold in "socially fragile areas". This was not adhered to. It might surprise people to learn that, forests have continued to be sold off, albeit in an open manner. Our politicians are continuing the work of Margaret Thatcher and, however they try to justify it, it cannot be to the public benefit if our forests are sold off to private landowners.

Duncan Cameron,

Barracks Croft, Glenelg.