BARONESS Jan Royall of Blaisdon made a passionate plea for the Forest as she opened a nine-hour debate on the proposed law which would allow the Government to sell our woods.

Baroness Royall, who led opposition to the Public Bodies bill in the House of Lords, accused the Government of trying to swiftly push through an undemocratic "skeleton" law with "a woeful lack of public consultation" and without any facts, figures or details given.

She told Lords on Tuesday: "I grew up in the Royal Forest of Dean, an area of great beauty, history and heritage – I live there still. Foresters are immensely proud of their ancient rights and traditions and also of the environment.

"I do not want my Forest or the other woodlands and forests, that are so well-managed and cared for by the Forestry Commission at a cost to the exchequer of a mere £10 million last year, to be sold off.

"Mrs Thatcher's Government... recognised, and I quote 'the Forest of Dean is unique and that its land should not be sold off except surplus cottages, small areas to the west of the Forest... but there will be no power to sell significant portions of Forest land'. I will do everything in my power to ensure that this situation continues.

"Friends of my local MP, who is a Government minister and is clearly supporting the bill, criticise my support for the Forest of Dean because I am against a corporate buy-out. The Forest of Dean has been and must continue to be a national asset, managed for its biodiversity and protected with its rights of access in perpetuity.

"If they are sold off with the weak voluntary safeguards mentioned in the bill, how can quality of access, management of the land, biodiversity and habitat be guaranteed for our future generations?"

At the end of a mammoth debate involving 56 speakers, the Government minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach, who introduced the bill, said: "There are numerous safeguards already in place to protect England's trees, irrespective of who owns them.

"As someone who was a fan of Dennis Potter, the noble Baroness can rest assured that I share an awareness of the uniqueness of the Forest of Dean."

The Lords Constitutional Select Committee published a report on Monday warning that the bill's sweeping powers, allowing a single Government minister to axe or do as they wish with up to 900 public organisations, including the Forestry Commission. It was concerned that no debate, consultation or new laws would be required. It said the bill struck at the heart of the democratic processes of Parliament and the judiciary. Lord Taylor said he noted the report and would allow more consultation and Parliamentary debate.

Peers lined up to support an amendment for the bill to be examined in detail by a select committee for three months, allowing time for an impact assessment, proper consultation and analysis of facts and figures. But their pleas were ignored by a majority of 188 to 151. Instead, it will be debated by a standard committee, which will meet in less than two weeks, and probably take less than eight days.

Following a report stage and final debate by Lords, who will vote on amendments, the bill will then go through the House of Commons, before being given Royal assent and becoming law next year.

Lord Taylor concluded: "The public rightly expects [reforms] to be delivered without delay."