---

Commons Bill [HL]

I support what my noble friend said. I listened carefully to the points that she made and it seems to me that the whole process of deregistration and exchange and the flexibility that it has provided in the past has been of immense value. She mentioned housing and enabling new farm buildings to be built. It is essential that that flexibility is retained. We are moving into strange and difficult times in agriculture. Farm diversification schemes are the name of the game. The use of farm buildings is changing and will change ever more. There is also a need to provide low-cost housing. Often, the most appropriate places for such housing are the very areas that we are discussing, and so I think that the noble Baroness has raised an important point here. I am sure the Minister agrees that deregistration and exchange and the flexibility that it offers is important, but it strikes me that the Government are now moving in a whole new direction which will make this an increasingly difficult process to enact. I ask the Minister whether it is the Government’s intention to make it more difficult. If so, I should simply like to know why.