Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

I want to thank the Minister for offering an open door to Members from all parts of the House. He has responded to letters, emails, phone calls, texts and face-to-face lobbying—and that is just from me; heaven knows what the sum total of such lobbying has been across the House. He has met all of this with courtesy and good humour, and I am sure that he will continue to do so, and to show the flexibility that he is known for, throughout the rest of our deliberations. This is an important Bill for the countryside, and I say that having experienced in the past week the lasting effect of 4x4s on one of the most important national trails in the English countryside. That is why I hope that the Minister will ensure that this Bill is enacted as soon as possible. Last Friday, I had the pleasure of meeting representatives of the Ramblers Association, the Cyclists’ Touring Club and the Friends of the Ridgeway at Barbury castle, in my constituency. All of them agreed that this Bill is important to the Ridgeway national trail. I agree with my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry) that it is important for cyclists as well, and I pay tribute to her eloquence. I will not repeat her arguments, but I totally agree with them. I have the honour of being vice-president of the Friends of the Ridgeway—one that I share with other Members. They know, as Members throughout the House know, the damage that 4x4s have done to some of the most delicate country lanes and paths on that route. Indeed, some two years after 4x4s were banned from the paths that I visited on Friday, there are still deep ruts in the ground, which is why this Bill must be enacted as soon as possible. This is not a sustainable state of affairs for the countryside that my South Swindon constituents and the people of the surrounding villages enjoy so much. In response to one of my letters, the Minister wrote to me on 31 July, saying that he had"““met representatives from a number of motor vehicle user groups and invited them to exercise voluntary restraint in submitting byway claims. I called on them to come up with, and put into practice, a protocol whereby motor vehicle users will only put in claims for routes that are suitable for motor vehicle use.””" He said that this would be"““an opportunity for those groups to show that they will be responsible and submit only claims that are for sustainable routes.””" He further said that he had made it clear to them"““that if they do not, I will commence the proposed legislation at the earliest possible date.””" We have heard today from all parts of the House that a responsible attitude has not been shown. I thank the Minister for listening, and I hope that he will enact this legislation as soon as possible.