Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

I should like to raise a small point that I failed to raise before. I do not know if the Minister was aware of it, but the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister produced, either today or recently, a planning policy statement on delivering sustainable development. Under the heading:"““Protection and enhancement of the environment””," paragraph 17 says:"““The Government is committed to protecting and enhancing””—" there is no conserving here—"““the quality of the natural and historic environment, in both rural and urban areas””." Does this mean that the countryside should not be kept in aspect and allowed to evolve in a natural way? As I understand it, the word ““conserve”” in this Bill means keeping the country as it is, protected in aspect and not allowing it to evolve. The Minister might not want to answer this question until he has seen the statement and, if so, I accept that.