Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

It is with great pleasure that I rise to support the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Graham of Edmonton. He is a good friend of mine, although I cannot call him my noble friend, because we sit on different Benches. I am particularly grateful to him for the guidance that he has given me on the scope of his amendment. The noble Lord has advised me that his amendment provides an all-embracing power relating to the creation of honorary freemen. There is one category of honorary freeman with which I am concerned about in particular—those connected with the Cinque Ports. Although his amendment does not mention them specifically, he advised me that it covers them. As it is all embracing, it does not need to refer to them specifically. At this point, I declare two interests. Many years ago, in another place, I represented a constituency then called Faversham, which included the town of Faversham, an associate Cinque Port. My arms contain part of the arms of the Cinque Ports. The amendment proposed by the noble Lord, Lord Graham, would restore to the Cinque Ports of Kent and East Sussex a right to create honorary freemen, which existed for centuries. The service to the nation of those towns goes back to the time of the Norman conquest.