Chris Mullin: ...hoard (within the meaning of section 61C(1) of the Land Drainage Act 1991) whose works, operations or activities may affect the wetland.(1B) The Nature Conservancy Council for England and the Countryside Council for Wales may agree that in a case where the Secretary of State notifies both of them under subsection (1)(c), any notice under subsection (1A) is to be sent by one or the other of...
(4) It shall be the duty of the Nature Conservancy Council for England and the Countryside Council for Wales periodically to report on the operation and effectiveness of each scheme.
Michael Meacher: ...and have provided comprehensive back-up support. Making the provisions work well will involve a wide range of people, including the staff of the Countryside Agency, English Nature and the Countryside Council for Wales, and I am grateful to them for all the work that they have been doing to advise on the provisions and to prepare for their implementation. My thanks go wider. There has...
Baroness Byford: ...of finance. Currently there is no statutory obligation on the Government to advance or support BAPs. When money is tight, the authorities drop their non-statutory involvements. For example, the Countryside Council for Wales has had its budget frozen and has been forced to stop working on 102 of the 222 BAPs which relate to Wales. The Bill could be used to give local and central authorities...
Lord Williamson of Horton: ...into the question of the availability of maps, to which the noble Baroness, Lady Byford, made specific reference. Under Clause 4 it will be the duty of the Countryside Agency in England and the Countryside Council for Wales to prepare maps which show all registered common land and all open country and, after publication and possible appeals, to publish them under Clause 9 in conclusive...
Lord Whitty: ...have to be made in future. The amendment mentions "clear definition" but clearly there is scope for judgment in individual cases. However, the Countryside Agency will be responsible and it and the Countryside Council for Wales are working on draft definitions. The National Countryside Access Forum, which represents a wide range of people, including landowners and user groups, has already...
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: ...thought hard about what restrictions on access to include in the Bill. Our first priority was to meet the clear demand for more access for walkers. We took advice from the Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales on what other activities to include. Both recommended a more vigorous use of existing mechanisms, such as voluntary agreements for extending access to land...
Baroness Byford: ...or area. The amendment requires the Secretary of State and the National Assembly to prepare model by-laws and, in so doing, to consult the relevant bodies, for example the Countryside Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales, English Nature, MAFF and voluntary bodies such as the CLA, the NFU, the Ramblers' Association and the British Mountaineering Council, all of which have been referred...
Lord Glentoran: ...way forward. However, it may be argued that, although there is no formal right of application for closures on conservation grounds, owners are able at any time to ask the Countryside Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales, or NPAs to exercise their power under Clause 24 to make a direction to close or restrict access. But there is no guarantee that any such request will be properly...
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: ..., for example, fire management, provisions for closures and restrictions and the mapping of access land. All of these are the responsibility of the relevant authorities--the Countryside Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales and the national parks authorities rather than the local access authorities. The noble Lord, Lord Bridges, made that point. We expect them to contribute to the...
Lord Glentoran: ...remove the limitation that only those owners of land used for farming, forestry or the breeding or keeping of horses may apply for an order. The amendments are understood to have the support of the Countryside Council for Wales. That was mentioned in its briefing on the publication of the Bill. I beg to move.
Lord Whitty: ..., those two conditions are removed but not the general condition. I have some sympathy with what the noble Lord said with regard to Amendment. No. 396A. It would require English Nature or the Countryside Council for Wales to give notice of their application for an SSSI diversion. Perhaps the noble Lord will give me leeway to consider that amendment. I believe that he has a point and we...
Lord Williams of Elvel: ...to have lawful authority if in carrying out the activity described in subsection (1) he has due regard to nature conservation. (1B) For the purposes of subsection (1A) the Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales shall issue guidance about the nature conservation matters to which regard should be had.").
the Earl of Selborne: ...conservation in this country. I must be careful not to anticipate the debate, but this report--and particularly the interim part of it which was published earlier--urges that English Nature and the Countryside Council for Wales should be given improved powers of protection and management of designated sites. That includes sites of European status as well as those of UK status. We recognise...
Lord Glentoran: ...they may not be over-popular. Amendment No. 484 would remove the words "if they think fit" in the reference to actions by the council. It is not clear why the power granted to English Nature and the Countryside Council for Wales to make a management scheme is to be exercised only "if they think fit". That is an unusual drafting term. Usually, a statutory body is given either a duty, in...
Lord Beaumont of Whitley: moved Amendment No. 521A: After Clause 69, insert the following new clause-- :TITLE3:("Local wildlife sites :TITLE3:LOCAL WILDLIFE SITES . English Nature, as regards England, and the Countryside Council for Wales, as regards Wales, shall formulate standards for the identification of local wildlife sites by any relevant local authority and from time to time shall report to the Secretary of...
Lord Whitty: ...in the Bill, which would not be practicable or sensible. The amendment's aim of ensuring sensible definition criteria for identifying moor, heath and down is sound. The Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales are engaged in drafting such material. The National Countryside Access Forum, which includes landowning and user groups, has already discussed the agency's paper...
the Earl of Caithness: ...not English Nature. While the latter may agree with the views of the noble Baroness, I hope that, like other noble Lords, she gave entirely her own views. In the light of my observations about the Countryside Council for Wales, it appears that the two main bodies on which the Government rely are against the proposals. Before I decide what to do with the amendment, perhaps the Minister will...
Baroness Fookes: ...any period of five years. (7) In this section "competent authority" means a local authority or-- (a) in respect of land in England, the Countryside Agency; and (b) in respect of land in Wales, the Countryside Council for Wales.").
Baroness Byford: ...Schedule 2. The clause refers only to the general restrictions in the schedule. The restrictions on dogs are set out in a quite separate paragraph in the schedule. The Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales are in favour of wardens being able to secure compliance with the law generally; for example, if someone commits a criminal offence on access land. It would seem odd...
