Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

My Lords, I want only to echo everything that the noble Lord, Lord Greenway, has just said. I will not repeat it all, except to underline what I think I said when the Bill left this House. It was valuable that we had, in my view, the best Bill team that I have ever seen in the nine or 10 years that I have been in this House. The team deserves our congratulations; it did a very good job. I am astonished that we are not discussing coastal access at all in Commons amendments, but perhaps it is good that we are not. We now retire from the scene, though no doubt we will get statutory instruments to look at. The important thing is that the hard work really starts now. It is not easy to produce well written and workable legislation of this complexity; it is very difficult, but nothing like as difficult as the work which the people at all levels in all the different aspects of the Bill will now have to do to put this into effect. In 10 years’ time, those of us who will, I hope, still be around—such as the noble Duke and me, perhaps—will look with great interest, and pride if it works. If it does not work, whichever Government is in power, no doubt it will have to come back. However, I believe that we have a Bill which will work and that the people who now have to put it into effect will be able to do so effectively and successfully.