Commons Bill [Lords]

I hope so. The hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire highlighted another serious point. More and more stands of trees are being sold on by the Forestry Commission. The commission had a responsible attitude to fencing in, but some of the commercial concerns to which the trees are sold do not quite have the same feeling about their responsibility to fence. As the hon. Gentleman rightly said, such stands are often sold on without an obligation to fence, so once the new owners have taken the trees away, or even before then, they do not bother to carry out maintenance. One particular owner that is slow at coming forward to deal with its legal responsibilities on fencing—it is probably the worst that I know of—is Railtrack. Railtrack must be named and shamed every time one wants a fence to be put back. It will do anything to avoid spending on fencing, yet we know how many sheep are killed each year on railway lines, which can often cause serious accidents. A further problem arises due to the fact that redundant coal pits and steelworks often abut common land. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire for raising such a serious matter—I was pleased to sign up to the new clause. Mr. William Jenkins and the other farmers in Blaenau Gwent were anxious for the matter to be raised. I told them that it was a bit late in the day, but we should discuss such a substantial point and receive a response to it. I hope that the Minister will respond in due course because the situation is not only difficult for the commoners, but an animal welfare matter, given that the animals that stray often get killed. I hope that he will be able to give us some comfort about whether any aspect of the Bill could assist commoners who are in such a position. They do not want to receive telephone calls telling them that their sheep are straying, but, with the best will in the world, if their fences are knocked down, what choice do they have? As for the Labour candidate, Mr. Smith, who said that we need on-the-spot fines, any fool knows that we have existing legislation to cover that—the Animals Act 1971. I ask the Minister to address the long-standing problem, as I am sure that he will do in his usual manner.