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Housing and Regeneration Bill

I share the concern of the noble Baroness, Lady Miller, and the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, about the preservation of the footpaths. I suppose that I ought to declare an interest as somebody who often is active and occasionally battles to keep local footpaths clear—indeed, probably some of the same ones that my noble friend the Minister also walks on. I have to say that on these occasions it is a great comfort to be able to refer to existing procedures, which people, once reminded of them, do fall in with. I think that our footpaths are a very important feature of British rural life. They are enjoyed by many people. The rights to open them were dearly won, as those with long memories will recall, and we should cherish them.