Commons Bill [HL]

It may be for the convenience of the Committee if I speak to my Amendment No. 170 and to Amendment No. 173. I am prompted to speak to the amendments because of a neighbour of mine who is an owner of a common and lord of the manor. He is worried that the Bill is not specific—and perhaps my noble friend will be able to reassure me without necessarily approving the amendment—that the rights of an owner as at present established cannot be affected by anything the commons association will do which would disadvantage those rights. This is an important point and I hope that my noble friend will be able to give reassurance.