To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for Commons Councils have been submitted since 2006; and how many such applications were approved in (a) England and (b) the south east.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for Commons Councils have been submitted since 2006; and how many such applications were approved in (a) England and (b) the south east.

It was before I came.

It was before I came.

Was it the noble Lord, Lord Chorley?

Was it the noble Lord, Lord Chorley?

No, it was the noble Lord, Lord Inglewood. I was remembering his nickname in my head and thought, "You can’t possibly say that". He waxed lyrical about the Lake District, its commons and some of the land that he owns there, where people are already co-operating well. They are the...

No, it was the noble Lord, Lord Inglewood. I was remembering his nickname in my head and thought, "You can’t possibly say that". He waxed lyrical about the Lake District, its commons and some of the land that he owns there, where people are already co-operating well. They are the...

The opposite, my Lords. Of the councils that the Minister is promising may come into existence fairly soon, at least two—the Lake District and Bodmin Moor—have existing structures and there may be existing voluntary commons councils there. I remember my noble friend Lord Tyler waxing lyrical about his history of...

The opposite, my Lords. Of the councils that the Minister is promising may come into existence fairly soon, at least two—the Lake District and Bodmin Moor—have existing structures and there may be existing voluntary commons councils there. I remember my noble friend Lord Tyler waxing lyrical about his history of...

That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Commons Councils (Standard Constitution) (England) Regulations 2010. Relevant document: 9th Report from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments.

That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Commons Councils (Standard Constitution) (England) Regulations 2010. Relevant document: 9th Report from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments.

My Lords, I too welcome these regulations and the ability to debate them this afternoon. I declare an interest as a vice-president of the Open Spaces Society and a member of the Access, Conservation and Environment Group of the British Mountaineering Council. The noble Lord, Lord Taylor of Holbeach, has...

My Lords, I too welcome these regulations and the ability to debate them this afternoon. I declare an interest as a vice-president of the Open Spaces Society and a member of the Access, Conservation and Environment Group of the British Mountaineering Council. The noble Lord, Lord Taylor of Holbeach, has...

The noble Lord says that it was before he arrived on the scene. Some of us have fond memories of those debates, as always, but they seem rather a long time ago. We had hoped that Part 2 might have been commenced before January this year. Nevertheless, it has now...

The noble Lord says that it was before he arrived on the scene. Some of us have fond memories of those debates, as always, but they seem rather a long time ago. We had hoped that Part 2 might have been commenced before January this year. Nevertheless, it has now...

The problem with "majority" is that you will have to identify with the greatest accuracy everyone who has a right to participate and then count the majority. Of course it will be a majority. By definition, you cannot have a consensual concept without there being a majority opinion. I am...

The problem with "majority" is that you will have to identify with the greatest accuracy everyone who has a right to participate and then count the majority. Of course it will be a majority. By definition, you cannot have a consensual concept without there being a majority opinion. I am...

In our discussions when we took the Bill through, we identified "substantial" as being "majority". I raised the issue because there is a difference between "substantial" and "majority".

In our discussions when we took the Bill through, we identified "substantial" as being "majority". I raised the issue because there is a difference between "substantial" and "majority".

My Lords, I am not being clear enough and I apologise to the noble Baroness. There is a difference between the council being set up as a consensual model and how it operates afterwards, which is what the noble Baroness may be describing. Clearly the council will be in awful...

My Lords, I am not being clear enough and I apologise to the noble Baroness. There is a difference between the council being set up as a consensual model and how it operates afterwards, which is what the noble Baroness may be describing. Clearly the council will be in awful...

My Lords, these regulations are an essential step towards the establishment of commons councils in England, with statutory powers to manage common land. Commons councils will bring together the interests in a common to exercise management control. The schedule to the regulations sets out the standard constitution which will apply...

My Lords, these regulations are an essential step towards the establishment of commons councils in England, with statutory powers to manage common land. Commons councils will bring together the interests in a common to exercise management control. The schedule to the regulations sets out the standard constitution which will apply...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing the regulations. The very slimline statutory instrument presents an interesting contrast with a highly substantial Explanatory Memorandum, but I suspect that that it is inevitable given the complexity of the issue. I understand the Government’s strategy of trying to present a framework...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing the regulations. The very slimline statutory instrument presents an interesting contrast with a highly substantial Explanatory Memorandum, but I suspect that that it is inevitable given the complexity of the issue. I understand the Government’s strategy of trying to present a framework...

My Lords, I shall not repeat what my noble friend Lord Taylor of Holbeach said, but I shall pick up on one or two comments. Having taken the Bill through all those years ago—it seems like a long time ago—I do not think that certain issues have been finally cleared...

My Lords, I shall not repeat what my noble friend Lord Taylor of Holbeach said, but I shall pick up on one or two comments. Having taken the Bill through all those years ago—it seems like a long time ago—I do not think that certain issues have been finally cleared...

Those seeking to establish a commons council will know that it will be easier to get access to such support grants if they indicate that they will fulfil benefits consistent with the Government’s overall strategy. Therefore, Defra and Natural England will make the resources available. After the start-up costs have...

Those seeking to establish a commons council will know that it will be easier to get access to such support grants if they indicate that they will fulfil benefits consistent with the Government’s overall strategy. Therefore, Defra and Natural England will make the resources available. After the start-up costs have...

Will the Minister clarify that the setting-up costs of a commons council, if the Government and Natural England approve and support it, will be paid whole or in part from grants from Defra and/or Natural England? Would those grants pay for some of the running costs for the first year...

Will the Minister clarify that the setting-up costs of a commons council, if the Government and Natural England approve and support it, will be paid whole or in part from grants from Defra and/or Natural England? Would those grants pay for some of the running costs for the first year...

I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, for shifting us on to that constructive and optimistic perspective. I emphasise that Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006, which provides for updating the commons registers, has been implemented in England in seven pilot local authority areas. To ensure that...

I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, for shifting us on to that constructive and optimistic perspective. I emphasise that Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006, which provides for updating the commons registers, has been implemented in England in seven pilot local authority areas. To ensure that...

My Lords, I am grateful to noble Lords who have contributed to this short but intensive debate. I am most grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, who gave me some indication of some of the trickier questions that he would ask. I feel slightly better equipped to respond to...

My Lords, I am grateful to noble Lords who have contributed to this short but intensive debate. I am most grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, who gave me some indication of some of the trickier questions that he would ask. I feel slightly better equipped to respond to...

We would expect the ballot to set up the council to follow democratic norms. The noble Lord should not be unduly anxious about the council going into secret session—it will not do any of those things. It is not a local authority, with direct responsibility to a wide range of...

We would expect the ballot to set up the council to follow democratic norms. The noble Lord should not be unduly anxious about the council going into secret session—it will not do any of those things. It is not a local authority, with direct responsibility to a wide range of...