Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

I am most grateful to everyone who has taken part in the debate. I am grateful for the general support of the noble Baroness, Lady Miller of Chilthorne Domer. The noble Earl, Lord Peel, asked whether the definitions in Clause 2 are sufficiently wide. My concern is that they are not. I have put these amendments down with the specific intention of initiating this debate. I hasten to say to the noble Lord, Lord Judd, that I am not wedded to one particular word or a particular wording in the clause at this stage. I am wedded to the issue, however, and I think that we need to give some very serious thought to how we deal with the matter. That general proposition has been supported in various ways by other Members of the Committee. I am particularly exercised about this because the Minister said that the Government are the lead player. Therefore, while Natural England naturally has a role, about which he made some very positive remarks, the Government are the lead player. My particular concern is that the Government may be the lead player, but at present they are not playing. They initiate one study after another. Decisions go from deferral to delay to further deferral, and so on. There comes a point where they have to start taking action. My question is whether this is one of those points. I seriously suggest to the Minister that it is. This is not a point which will cost the Government any money or cost them anything other than marginal loss of face because they think that their Bill is perfect and perhaps it is not. That is insignificant in relation to the issue that lie behind these amendments. I hope that the Minister will agree to further discussions on this issue to see whether we can square this conundrum rather better than the Bill does at present. If the Minister agrees to that, I shall go away very happy. Otherwise, if we cannot even discuss the issue, I shall conclude that I will have to put another amendment down. It may not be satisfactory, but we might need to be rather more positive about the way in which we push it. I accept completely that there is general agreement on the need to tackle the issue which I have raised. The last thing we want is to start debating that again today. But I am not convinced that this is yet another time or occasion when we do nothing. If the Minister would agree to discussions to relieve me of that worry, or possibly to find a form of words on which we could both agree, that would be enormously helpful. If he cannot agree to discussions, I shall know what to do.