Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

Yes, I am talking about outstanding applications. I intend to make a clear and explicit announcement about this while the Bill is in the other place, once I have received sufficient legal advice about how we can deal with it. To those listening outside this House, I say that if there is the flood that we fear as a result of my announcement about commencement, I will seek to take as aggressive a stance as I possibly can from that legal advice on how outstanding claims are to be dealt with. We will shortly be publishing an updated version of ““Making the Best of Byways””, a practical guide to managing the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on routes where there are established rights for such vehicles. That will help with what the right hon. Member for North-West Hampshire (Sir George Young) described as ““the Bassetlaw question.”” We are also introducing guidance on the better use of traffic regulation orders—including pre-emptive traffic regulation orders—and other regulatory and enforcement measures on which my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw is so keen. Because of the interest expressed by the Welsh Assembly Government in this guidance, we have decided—I am sure that the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire (Mr. Williams) will be pleased with this—to simultaneously launch a Welsh language version. This means that it will take a little longer to publish than I had hoped, but it will be ready—along with ““Making the Best of Byways””—certainly by the time this Bill has Royal Assent and, if I can have anything to do with it, a little bit sooner.