"Liberal Democrat MPs are threatening to rebel against controversial plans by the Government to sell off part of England's forests, which will be announced today.

"On the day that Nick Clegg defused a potential Liberal Democrat revolt over control orders for terrorist suspects, some of his MPs revealed they will not support proposals to sell up to three-quarters of the land owned by the Forestry Commission.

"Caroline Spelman, Environment Secretary, will try to reassure them when she publishes a consultation paper outlining the Government's options. She will insist that "heritage" land such as the New Forest and Forest of Dean, which accounts for about a quarter of the estate, would not be privatised, restricting any sell-offs to "commercial" land."

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