Commons Bill [HL]

As the Minister said, that is to be replaced with the catch-all phrase of ““vegetation””. That is the same catch-all phrase that appears in the draft statutory instrument for the rules of West Barsetshire—on which there is an Ambridge Common. The Government seem to be mixed up with their fictional names, with Ambridge in Barsetshire, not Borsetshire. I considered tabling an amendment on that, but I thought that we should not waste time. I shall move two amendments to a paragraph which the Government intend to remove and another that adds something more specific. So these are probing amendments in relation to certain types of undesirable vegetation. Regarding Amendment No. 161A, Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it a criminal offence to plant or allow the growing of a number of plants listed in Schedule 9, of which the one that we know best and hate most is Japanese knotweed, which frequently provokes discussion in your Lordships’ House. Does the Minister believe that commons associations more specifically should be made to take action against those particularly obnoxious and invasive weeds? The other two Amendments Nos. 158 and 164 refer to bracken, which is not legally regarded as being in the same category as Japanese knotweed, but nevertheless is a huge and growing problem, particularly in upland areas and commons. It spreads rapidly; the rhizomes churn up the subsoil and the soil; it suppresses other vegetation and, therefore, reduces biodiversity. There are a number of reasons why it is spreading, but one is that there is less trampling by those animals which would most effectively trample it, such as pigs and cattle. In many places bracken is not being effectively controlled. People just shrug their shoulders and say, ““Yes, it’s spreading””. It harbours ticks which carry diseases such as louping-ill and Lyme disease and is said to be carcinogenic. It is a disaster for recreational use of the countryside and spoils it for quiet uses such as walking. One of my most horrific experiences in the countryside was on the North Yorkshire Moors—in Farndale, I think—when I was trapped in a thick, wet fog and decided to get back down to the valley. I was ploughing down through bracken that was taller than me. I was soaked through and it was horrible. None of us want bracken. It endangers archaeology, because it disturbs the subsoil and is difficult to control. There are machines such as bracken bruisers and crushers, but you really have to keep at it. There is no point clearing it once; you must clear it time and time again to get rid of it. The kind of animals that will trample it and help to keep it under control are often not there nowadays. Indeed, selective sheep grazing can sometimes help the spread of bracken. The Open Spaces Society suggests that we need a coalition of all sorts of groups—landowners, graziers, animal welfare groups, nature conservation groups, recreational users, archaeologists and others to promote solutions. My amendment is more modest, but it is an opportunity to ask the Government what is their overall view on bracken. The Minister may be unable to comment today in great detail. However, do the Government believe that we need a strategy across the country to tackle this weed, which is not quite as pernicious as other weeds, but is none the less invasive and unpleasant, but, if under-grazing is going to be the order of the day, will probably spread even further?