Commons Bill [Lords]

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time. I am pleased to stand at the Dispatch Box this evening with the task of sending the Bill to another place for, I hope and trust, their Lordships’ final blessing on a complex but extremely valuable piece of legislation that will protect and enhance our common land for years to come. Although my time as Minister responsible for the Bill has been brief, I can now profess to understand the intricacies of hefting and the significance of levancy and couchancy, as well as ancient rights of common such as blacksmut, hedgebote and whitestump. Blacksmut, I hasten to add, is the collection of charred root mould for fuel. The Bill will protect some of our most treasured land in England and Wales for many years to come. Commons are an ancient institution that predate the Norman conquest. Today they remain important in the agricultural economy of upland areas in England and Wales, in providing a vital resource for biodiversity and recreation, and in forming a key part of our landscape. Many of our commons need help, and that is why the Bill is important. It will encourage more and better local management of commons through commons councils, and it will provide new powers to enforce against unlawful agricultural activities. It will allow us, too, to modernise the consent regime for works proposed on common land. It will drastically improve the system for registering commons and greens by bringing the registers up to date and keeping them so. We have even reached consensus on the thorny issue of severance of common rights—a Herculean achievement in its own right. We are proud of the Bill, which has benefited from the close scrutiny it has received, and the changes that have been made to improve it. I have read the debates in another place and this House, which were productive, constructive, at times amusing and, most importantly, well intentioned. Today I have gained a first-hand appreciation for the genuine determination of hon. Members on both sides of the House to do the best job that they can. I pay tribute to the commitment shown by hon. Members and to the detailed knowledge and experience that many of them have brought to our deliberations from their years of interest in the subject. I also thank the Deputy Speakers and Chairmen who have chaired our discussions on Report and in Committee. I acknowledge the support of the members of my team in the Department. They have worked long and hard to bring the Bill to this stage, and they have worked tirelessly with everyone who has shown an interest in the Bill to establish consensus on all the main issues. I am grateful to hon. Members for the individual tributes that they have paid to them in the course of our deliberations this afternoon—my team put that in my speech, no doubt expecting a drink at the end of this. Finally, I thank my hon. Friend the Minister for Schools, who was responsible for managing the Bill in its earlier stages in this House. His open and consensual approach in Standing Committee has ensured that the Bill has the broad support of all parties, and I have tried to continue that approach.