Commons Bill [HL]

I support Amendment No. 152. It is clear that a number of commons associations will apply for Tir Gofal, a considerable amount of money which could come into commons associations. I want to speak, first, to the second half of my Amendment No. 161 on,"““making rules for the distribution of surplus finds accruing to the common land as a result of grants for sustainable agriculture””." A commons association is a group of people with different interests. When such schemes are approved for a commons association, it seems appropriate for the association to decide who actually gets the money. These are important schemes and a lot of money is involved. It must be right for members of the commons association at least to have the power to determine, along with their colleagues, who is in receipt of these monies. I return to the first part of my Amendment No. 161. This raises an enormous problem which, I am afraid, is present throughout common land in Wales and possibly elsewhere. I recognise that there are provisions in the Road Traffic Act, as amended by the CROW Act. Nevertheless, in Radnor there are only two police vehicles for the whole county, and there is no way that the provisions of the Road Traffic Act, as amended by the CROW Act, can possibly be enforced. On the other hand, some commoners like the idea of having rallies across their common, and we must recognise that. Therefore, there must be some sort of balance, and it seems to me that a balance can be struck only by introducing rules made by the commons association. If the commons association wants a motorbike rally, or whatever, across their common, they will need a licence from the local authority, but they must make the rules. If they want to protect their vegetation from unauthorised motor vehicle access, they should have the right to do so. Now that protection of vegetation has been introduced into the Bill by my noble friend, that is a very important point.