Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

My Lords, I spoke against this clause on Report, having been an agnostic in Committee. The whole point of Clause 2 is that it creates an equilibrium whereby Natural England must decide by itself where the right balance lies. Sustainable development is key here. I do not believe that Natural England will be cowed, as the noble Baroness, Lady Young, said about English Nature in its early days, by the economic case. I very firmly do not believe that Parliament should be taking decisions for Natural England in advance of hypothetical cases yet to come up before its board. That is all wrong. To quote my noble friend Lord Chorley, as he stated on the previous amendment, Natural England should be allowed to keep its hands free.