On Wednesday 4th June, the Malvern Hills Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords.
Eight members of the House of Lords took part in the debate and spoke passionately about the importance of the Malvern Hills as a "much loved and important British institution".
Lord Faulkner of Worcester introduced the bill, and outlined the bill's purposes and summarised the key points raised in petitions. He said "the pressures arising from that popularity continue to increase, and the need for the hills to be conserved and managed for the future public good remains as strong as ever."
Earl Attlee raised the question of the electoral arrangements and the need for modernisation. He said "I have no doubt that the Malvern Hills are being very well looked after. There is an excellent new chief executive in place. I agree that the five acts of parliament that govern the Malvern Hills need to be brought up to date; some of the drafting is archaic and refers to organisations that are no longer extant, and the trustees are unnecessarily constrained in what they can do."
Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle raised the number of trustees as an issue of concern: "Twelve is a very large board, and we know how difficult decision-making can be in those sorts of situations. It is also important to stress that, if the bill is enacted in its current form, the proportion of elected trustees increases from 38% to 50%.
"This is a modernisation and a moving forward- that is the direction of the bill- for an area that sees 1.25 million visitors a year, according to University of Bristol figures."
Baroness Thornhill raised questions about the proposal for a general power. In response, Baroness Twycross, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said:
"General powers are very common in the charity sector. The Charity Commission's published model governing documents for charities includes a general power.
In relation to the Malvern Hills Trust, the general power could only be used to further the charity's work in pursuance of its charitable objectives, and would not alter anything in the way in which the sale of land and the granting of easements are dealt with."
Baroness Twycross also said that the DCMS always welcomes charities working to ensure their governance follows best practices of charity law and governance.
Lord Hampton, whose father had taken part in the parliamentary debate leading to the Malvern Hills Act 1995 said "We had dire predictions in 1993 but, when I was there last, the Malvern Hills were as beautiful as ever. There is always a suspicion of change when anything comes in, but as it is, this seems a very sensible bill."
Chair of the Malvern Hills Trust, John Michael, said "We had the privilege to witness a considered and respectful debate about the Bill in the House of Lords on Wednesday evening. This is very much what we were expecting and is part of the parliamentary process taking its course.
While the process is underway, the Trust still very much wants to speak to people who share the affection for the Malvern Hills expressed by their Lordships, so we can answer any questions they may have about why the Trust needs to modernise in order to protect the Hills now and in the future."
The Trust will be holding drop-in sessions over the summer to give members of the public the opportunity to learn more about the charity's work and the Bill. Details will be provided on our website.
No member opposed the Bill's progression to the next stage of the parliamentary process. The Bill will now be referred to a Lords select committee.
Photos in order: Baroness Twycross, Lord Hampton, Baroness Bennett, Earl Attlee, Lord Faulkner
