§ 6. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many access agreements have been made in the Snowdonia national park to the present date; and how many more are being negotiated.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Alec Jones)None to date. The Gwynedd county council has commenced negotiations in five cases.
§ Mr. BennettIs the Minister aware that that is an unsatisfactory answer and that access agreements bring considerable benefit in other national parks both to the farmers and to others who want to use these areas for recreation? Does not my hon. Friend feel that steps should be taken to speed up the making of access agreements within the Snowdonia national park?
§ Mr. Alec JonesWe are taking steps to speed up the completion of access agreements. I must stress, however, that they are agreements. If they are to work properly, they must be properly conducted and agreed to by all the parties to them. They have to be considered and approved by six bodies apart from the individual farmers. We would all like progress to be speedier and I hope that we can secure that.
§ Later—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I apologise to the hon. Member for Merioneth (Mr. 484 Thomas) in that I did not see him when he rose to ask a supplementary question to Question No. 6 relating to his constituency. It is too late now.