Maybe the first point here is to understand that NE and DEFRA have been lobbied by individual cavers who are against CRoW applying to access to caves, despite NCA in 1998 responding to the original government consultation in a positive manner detailing why it was felt that caves
should be included. (Note that this is on record, it was approved by NCA C&A Committee and by NCA Council, and a copy of the original NCA responses is available as one of the documents listed in
http://tinyurl.com/pro-CRoW-caving.) In addition, the NCA response was not followed up after 2000 as it should have been, due partly to changes in personnel involved and partly because the transition from NCA to BCA was taking place and we "took our eye off the ball". This "anti" lobbying by individuals has continued through to this year.
The situation is therefore, in the eyes of NE and DEFRA, thoroughly confused as they are being given conflicting messages: an official one from NCA in 1998, and later ones from individuals purporting to represent authoritatively the "views of cavers".
The BCA Chairman has now had informal discussions with senior officers from NE and DEFRA and they will know that BCA members, as a whole, are now being asked for their views on whether the matter should be taken further, i.e. whether the national body is being asked formally by the majority of its members to do so. In the event that the ballot returns a 'yes', then discussions will resume with officialdom - almost certainly on an informal basis initially - and it will be possible to explore more fully the issues.
I fully expect that this would take time and everyone will be acutely aware of the need to behave sensitively and consult with landowners and the bodies which represent them as well as with the cavers and caving organisations who manage access on behalf of cavers. It's not a "done deal", it's a process, and some of the questions are impossible to answer unless and until BCA is further down the line of consultation.
Of course this is not an "official outline"; just my views. But I hope and believe that it is the sort of process which would take place. And BCA's Conservation & Access Group will have this in mind at its next meeting, which will be prior to the deadline for ballot returns.