§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what reasons underlay the decision not to include the New Forest in the reports commissioned by his Department entitled "Greater Protection and Better Management of Common Land and Good Practice Guide on Managing the use of Common Land". [123256]
§ Mr. MullinThese two reports were not aimed at any specific commons, but were intended to cover issues and problems arising on the majority of common land throughout England and Wales.
The publications will be less relevant to those commons which benefit from their own legislation, and particularly those such as the New Forest which are exempted from registration under the Commons Registration Act 1965. It will be a matter for consideration how far, if at all, any new legislation should apply to those commons, and we will naturally listen to views in this respect. The advice contained in the Good Practice Guide may be applied in the New Forest, provided it is consistent with local legislation. Similarly, those who administer that legislation may pursue legislative changes consistent with those proposed in the consultation paper Greater Protection and Better Management of Common Land in England and Wales.