Clause 26
Commons Bill [Lords]
5:00 pm
David Drew (Stroud, Labour)
I am happy to make an offer to the hon. Gentleman; we will agree to “council” if he agrees to our amendments that would promote legitimacy by having people elected to that body rather than things being contrived so that those who form the voluntary associations decide who serves on them. I do not think that that would give such bodies any great legitimacy. The hon. Gentleman may choose to think about that offer before we come to clause 30.
I am intrigued by the notion of a difference between a council and an association. If I read the regulatory impact assessment properly, the Government will set much greater store by how people form themselves into that body, whatever it is to be called, in respect of environmental and social purposes—environmental in the sense that it will be a representative body that applies for environmental grants, or some form of support, and the single farm payment and ascertains when they get paid, and, more particularly, looks at the higher level of environmental support for the area that people are farming.
On the social side, we are looking at some accountability and also some responsibility. Animal welfare, in which I have an interest, is listed as one of the issues. The last time I went out with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals we were looking at a beast on Minchinhampton common, which was mentioned on Second Reading. The RSPCA officers made it clear how difficult they had found things because this animal was in some distress, and it needed its hooves cutting back. The officers found it difficult to serve an order because it was not clear whom the animal belonged to; although they had tried to ascertain that, they had not made much progress.
I see this measure as encouraging those who keep animals on the common, who will be part of the representative body, to take some responsibility for the animals if they are grazing on the common. To be honest, I am indifferent to how we would change the term. “Association” means something to me, but I can see the value of calling the body a council if that differentiates it from existing voluntary associations, provided that under clause 30 legitimacy is entailed as part of the Bill.