Commons Bill [HL]

I am not in a position to answer my noble friend on that point. I understand that the rule against severance applies when a party who has rights of common resolves to get rid of them. The question is about to whom that person should be permitted to sell those rights of common. The argument has been that he should not be allowed to sell them to someone who lives 200 miles away and who has no interest at all in the common. That is the principle behind Clause 9, but to make it too solid a rule would be unfair. That is why we are all searching for the exceptions which should apply to that general principle. One of the issues we will examine on Report is whether there should be an order of preference in terms of those exceptions.