Borough Freedom (No. 2) Bill [HL]

The purpose of the Bill is to enable the rights of admission to the freedom of cities or towns to be amended, and to confer powers to admit persons as honorary freemen of certain places in the Confederation of the Cinque Ports.

The statuses of ‘freeman’ and ‘honorary freeman’ are distinct: the status of freeman is based upon the traditions of certain towns and cities in England and Wales, and admission depends upon local rules, often based on heredity, apprenticeships, or marriage; the status of honorary freeman can be conferred by certain local councils on persons of distinction or who have rendered an eminent service to the local area. While the status of freeman may include a property or other right, the status of honorary freeman confers no rights.

The rules relating to the admission of freemen are sufficiently flexible in some towns and cities to allow them to admit women. However, in others the rules have not allowed such flexibility, and this Bill seeks to remedy the situation by allowing freemen to amend their rules of admission, particularly in relation to women.

Only one of the Cinque Ports, Hastings, is currently able to admit honorary freemen. The Bill will allow the remaining Cinque Ports, with the exception of Winchelsea, to admit honorary freemen.

A similar Bill has been introduced on a number of occasions, both in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Recently, a similar Bill was introduced in the House of Commons by Derek Conway, the Independent MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, but was withdrawn on 4 February 2008.

Key areas

• Amends the Local Government Act 1972 to allow cities or towns to amend their rights of admission to the freedom of cities or towns
• Enables the right of admission to freedom of cities or towns to be extended to women
• Amends the Local Government Act 1972 to enable honorary freemen to be admitted to certain Cinque Ports.