Member

Amendment 1, tabled by my noble friend Lord Berkeley, would alter the commencement of the Bill so that it comes into force two months after it is passed, or after the Crown Estate publishes its lease extension policy and a Minister of the Crown has tabled a Motion in both Houses of Parliament to debate that policy—whichever is later. As I previously set out in Committee, the Crown Estate has committed to publish its revised lease extension policy. That commitment was read out on the Crown Estate’s behalf in this House on 24 May 2024 during Report on the now Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. The implementation of the Act requires a programme of secondary legislation, the timing of which is not in the Crown Estate’s control. Requiring the Crown Estate to publish its policy before the Act is implemented would not be practical, as it would require some broad assumptions to be made and would likely require change once the legislation is fully implemented. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to delay the commencement of the Bill on that basis. However, I hope that the proposed changes to the framework document, which include clarifying that the commissioners have a responsibility to meet their public undertakings, provide my noble friend with some reassurance that the policy will be published when appropriate.