Clause 32
Commons Bill [Lords]
9:15 am
David Drew (Stroud, Labour)
I apologise for my lateness, but alarm clocks work only occasionally. I am delighted to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Weir.
My amendments are purely probing amendments. I caught the latter part of what the Minister was saying about the other amendments. My amendments are simply intended to clarify the situation as regards the acquisition or disposition of land. That should be allowed to happen in a way that does not fetter any other arrangements. The amendments are really about getting further amplification on what the Government intend to do if a dispute occurs. How can it be settled amicably, rather than being fought through the courts? Will the Minister explain exactly what the Government have in mind?
The rules will be made through secondary legislation, but will there be a code of practice of some description to explain to commons associations—or committees, as we are to call them—how to go about acquiring additional land? Or they may wish to sell a piece of land when they need to raise money—hopefully, as we said on Tuesday, to replace like for like. We would certainly like to know more about that.