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Commons Bill [HL]

I support those who have underlined the importance of localism, if I can put it that way, in the establishment of the commons associations. Bearing in mind the remarks of my noble friend Lord Caithness—which are important to bear in mind—surely the crucial point here in terms of driving forward the establishment of commons associations, is for a general regime to be in place where it is attractive for the commoners to be part of a common on which an association is established. To ensure the take-up of the provisions in this legislation—I think we are generally all agreed that that is in the public interest—it is crucial to ensure that they are attractive to commoners and to those who operate on the common, that they constitute the form of management that will be the most beneficial to them in the years to come. In many cases that has nothing very much to do with the legal framework of the commons associations but has a lot to do with a whole variety of other matters—many of them associated with money—which concern management.