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Commons Bill [HL]

I want to respond to the Minister’s comments on Amendments Nos. 55 and 58. In doing so, I welcome the relaxation of his attitude towards blackberry picking since Second Reading, when he suggested that people like me who go out and pick blackberries should be put in prison for it. I am delighted that he has relented and is suggesting that by doing so, we might be contributing towards the land becoming a village green. That is good news. There are two serious points. I welcome the Minister’s remarks on the period of grace as set out in Amendment No. 55 and look forward to him writing to say what, if anything, he has been thinking and what he might be doing on Report. If he continues to rely on regulations to define it, as the Bill provides, can he give us any assurance or even hope that the regulations might appear in the next five years? We do not want to wait for five years only to find that nothing happens, as with Section 98 of the CROW Act. I welcome the Minister’s comments on Amendment No. 58 and look forward to his further thoughts.