Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

It may seem a bit novel, but I should like to address the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Taylor of Holbeach. Much as I admire him and support many of his amendments, this is not one of them. First, I thank the Minister for his useful note on the marine policy statement that he circulated a few days ago, because it encapsulates how I feel—that by highlighting renewable energy, climate change and energy security we are putting the emphasis in the wrong place. You might have expected that I would feel like that because of the statements I made when we were talking about the objectives of the MMO and the need for the marine Bill to focus on what it started off being about—the conservation of the marine environment. Indeed, I was delighted to see from the Minister’s explanatory note on marine policy statements that it will set out the UK’s vision for the marine area as a clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse sea within the framework of sustainable development. The marine policy statements should focus on that. They will have to say important things about a whole variety of policies, but if the Bill gives special consideration to climate change and energy security, that will downgrade some of these other very important objectives that the marine Bill was originally intended to promote. Much as I believe in the importance of tackling energy security and climate change, I would hesitate to elevate them above other objectives.