Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

It is very seldom that I find myself not endorsing the concerns of the noble Baroness, Lady Miller. On this occasion, I am not sure that she is right in her anxieties. It seems to me that there has been a great deal of thought in the drafting of this Bill, and from my own experience, it is sometimes quite clear in a very beautiful part of the landscape that there is something that could be done that would make it even more attractive. The danger is that inadvertently, by removing the ““enhancing””, you might play into the hands of people who were not prepared to take that step, who were just traditionalists and who were not looking at what could be contributed to future generations by just doing what is obvious. From that standpoint, because so many of your Lordships have emphasised the importance of looking forward, I am sure in a balanced and responsible way, I think the Government are right to have this word ““enhancing”” in their draft.