Clause 62 - Ending of certain existing unrecorded public rights of way
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill
2:30 pm
Jim Knight (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; South Dorset, Labour)
I shall come to retrospective legislation in a moment.
It is clear from surveys that there have been notable increases in the number of claims, particularly in some counties. There is no dispute about there being hot spots, and Wiltshire, Somerset, Derbyshire, Hampshire come to mind, as well as the area outside the back door of my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw.
I am working on the basis that we will commence one year after Royal Assent. However, I made it clear on Second Reading that, as the problem becomes more widespread, it will alter the balance and I will seek greater flexibility in the timing of commencement. The Committee may have noticed that I have tabled amendment No. 157 to clause 97, which will provide the option to commence clause 62 on a regional basis. That will allow us to focus commencement on the most vulnerable areas of the country that are experiencing heightened claims. If particularly active groups are pursuing particularly vexatious claims, an option that will allow me to work with responsible elements will be to commence in some areas before others.