Commons Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 35:"Page 16, line 7, leave out ““not””" The noble Lord said: My Lords, the amendment probes a matter that I was surprised we did not discuss in more detail in Grand Committee. In all the excitement about how commons associations will be set up, run and financed, we missed it. It is the question of the relationship between commons associations and SSSIs, and the position on the commons in relation to SSSIs. The position at the moment is that in England about half the SSSIs on commons—which are a high proportion of SSSIs in the country—are not in a favourable condition, and it is thought that the position may be much worse in Wales. Section 28G bodies under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended, have a duty to further the conservation enhancement of the flora and fauna on SSSIs. The Bill states that commons associations are not 28G bodies on the grounds that such status might be a burden and could discourage the setting up of commons associations. That may well be true but, no doubt, there are also other things that might also discourage them. The purpose of moving the amendment is to ask the Government how they see the future management of SSSIs on commons. What processes will take place that will result in the 50 per cent figure being reduced to something much more reasonable and the Government meeting their own targets on bringing SSSIs into good condition? In particular, if commons associations are not to be 28G authorities, what is their role and how will they be involved? If a site is designated as an SSSI because of its vegetation, it is difficult to see that the body that is tasked with managing the vegetation does not have a substantial role to play in enhancing and maintaining the ecological conservation status of the SSSI. My noble friend Lord Livsey will speak to the other amendment in this group. I beg to move.