Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

I sat through our proceedings last week, and was not certain when to make these remarks, which are more general and refer in fact to all these amendments to Clause 2. The Minister said in his opening remarks on Clause 2 that the list of activities that fell within the general purpose of the Bill were not necessarily set in stone, but I believe that he also said—I cannot remember his exact words—that the Government had looked at these different interest areas very carefully indeed. I am concerned that the amendments risk upsetting the necessary balance which stems from giving equal weighting to conservation and biodiversity on the one hand and access and recreation on the other and which provides a basis for harmonious working between those different areas. Work is already been done by the various interest groups, and I shall briefly cite a couple of examples. The Central Council of Physical Recreation is working with English Nature and the Countryside Agency on the Best of Both Worlds project, and the Royal Yachting Association and the British Marine Federation have their Green Blue initiative. The latter includes a strong education element—that is, educating both the boating public and the industry in best environmental practice. It also flags up current examples of good practice and, in addition, provides a useful index of all academic and professional studies on boating and the environment, something from which all sides could gain benefit. I hope that Natural England will embrace these existing projects and ensure that such co-operation continues and, indeed, is built on. As the Minister has said already, the board of Natural England will be quite capable of deciding any contentious matters without its hands being tied by weighting towards any particular interest area in this section of the Bill. I make these remarks now because I am conscious that time is moving on. I will not be able to be here when the Committee meets next Wednesday. Therefore, for the reasons I have just mentioned, I should also like to oppose now the inclusion of the Sandford principle in the Bill, in Amendment No. 122. I do not know whether we will reach that amendment today.