Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

That is why the Government are wrong to resist my amendment. Any Government who are confident that they will be in power for the next 10 years are asking us to buy a pipe dream. They may be in power, but maybe not. If she will excuse me for doing so, I also wish to comment on the point raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Byford, about the width of the route. As a general rule, four metres is a reasonable minimum width. In certain circumstances, however, the path will inevitably be narrower, particularly if it goes through what is otherwise excepted land, which therefore would not be part of the access land, for whatever reason—the path may go through a farmer’s field, for example—and where there are very clearly established boundaries to the path. The path may take a route along an existing right of way or concessionary path which has hedges, walls or other boundaries that are already established. It would be entirely unreasonable in every respect to tear those down and insist that the path must be four metres wide. It may well destroy its character. Will the Minister comment on just how rigid the four-metre minimum will be? Will it be flexible when it is reasonable for the path to be narrower than four metres?