Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

My Lords, I speak to my amendment, which is linked to these two amendments. I believe we are finally coming to the end of the road—although that is perhaps a bad pun—on this highly contentious issue. My original amendment would have set the exemption date back to 9 December 2003. I will not have a go at the Minister for that slight slip a minute ago. All noble Lords are aware of the substance of that debate and the motives behind it. We on these Benches are still of the opinion that our original date of December 2003 is the preferable option. The issue of figures has been quite confusing. Across the board, the number is widely agreed to be very high. Taking into account multiple applications, I have estimated that    there have been 1,000 applications since December 2003. The issue, however, is not necessarily the number of applications affected. We all heard on Report—because I spoke on it—about the story of Dr Karen Hinckley and the damage done to the green lanes of her parish by motorised vehicles. There are now no protected green lanes left in her parish. There have been applications to convert every green lane in the parish into a BOAT. As it will take years to process, the use of green lanes will continue unabated. It is simply too difficult to prosecute those using green lanes that have applications pending. It came to my attention only last week that the Trail Riders Fellowship has been paying its members a £250 bonus if they manage to make a successful claim. I understand that the Minister in another place knew about that some time ago. I was shocked to receive a flier, in which it promised to,"““pay back your membership over and over again””." That is not the action of a group that has a responsible or thoughtful attitude—either to the applications process or to the land which they will use. That is the state of affairs in many parts of the country. Our belief is that the more applications that fall under the cut-off provision, the better it is for conservation and for those who use green lanes in the countryside. Many people whose hobby is horse riding have told me that where they may have used those lanes in the past, they now cannot. The lanes are so damaged that they fear they will damage and break the legs of their horses. We are grateful to the Minister, however, for adding his name to the amendment moved by the noble Lord, Lord Carter, which would take the date back from 19 May 2005, to January 2005. The GLPG has estimated that that will save another 500 pending applications—that is, of applications that we know about. The other 500 or so applications made between December 2003 and January 2005 will still stand and will have to be processed. We recognise, however, that this is a very positive move from the Government. In spite of the amendment that we had tabled prior to hearing of this concession, we on these Benches support it. I thank the Minister for his constructive response to our case for protecting green lanes. I urge other noble Lords who spoke in support of my amendment in Committee and on Report to support the amendment moved by the noble Lord, Lord Carter, to which the Minister’s name has been added.