§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government when they contemplate introducing legislation to implement the recommendations of the Report of the Royal Commission on Common Land after the registration of commons has been completed.
§ LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTONMy Lords, completion of registration will necessarily be a lengthy process. My right honourable friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Secretary of State for Wales, are in favour of legislation as soon as practicable, but progress with registration must first be made.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, arising out of that reply may I ask the noble Lord to remember that in England there are nearly 2½ million acres of common land which is almost forgotten and of which nearly one million is of an arable character? Since a good deal of this is at present wasted land, will the noble Lord bear in mind the advantages of the availability of land which might result from appropriate legislation?
§ LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTONYes, my Lords. Without commenting on the exact figures the noble Lord gave, I can say that we are aware of the points he is making. There is a need to look into all these problems, but we have to get the ownership problem sorted out first.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, may I ask one further question? Will the noble Lord bear in mind the possibility of col- 152 laboration with the Forestry Commission? By some intermediate process some of the land now derelict, which might well be used for planting, might perhaps be brought into national use.
§ LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTONMy Lords, I would not like to hold out much hope of the Government putting any land to use until the registrations are complete. Only when all objections have been sorted out can anything be done. My friend Mr. George Squibb, Q.C., is working on this with his team of Commons Commissioners. We are not in a position to recommend legislation until we know the legal position.