Commons Bill [HL]

My Lords, of course we are disappointed by the Minister’s response. What he said raised another question in my mind which perhaps I should have thought of before. What happens if a commons association goes bankrupt and the members decide that they do not want to disband? Who has the power to collect money from whom? The commons association will have no assets as such. The Government could step in and ask Natural England to pick up the tab, but such associations could continue for a period in debt. I suppose the main thing against them would be that no one would lend them any more money, but they could continue indefinitely in a state of debt, refusing to be wound up. There are always difficulties that one has not quite foreseen. This one is a stage further than the discussion that the Minister put before the House a few minutes ago.