Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

In moving Amendment 85AA, I will also speak to Amendments 85AB and 89AA. This is an almost seamless continuation of the previous debate. I tabled these amendments to understand how the consistency between the various marine policy statements and the national policy statements will be achieved. The Minister and the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, referred to Clause 2, which is about the Marine Management Organisation. One question here is about how the MMO will be involved in the creation of the marine policy statements. But that is not the focus of these amendments. I appreciate that there will be marine policy statements for discrete areas, although I noted that the Minister was referring to ““the”” statement. I am not sure whether he anticipates that there will be several or one, but I am particularly concerned about conflict. The MPSs must contribute, "““to the achievement of sustainable development in the UK marine area””." I was in the Moses Room so I missed the debate on Clause 40 and my noble friend Lady Miller’s amendments exploring where the boundaries are. I will read that with interest. I wondered after I had tabled the amendment, and too late to do anything about it, whether I should have included as an issue here that we are talking about sustainable development in the UK, period, or of the UK, including the marine area. There seem to be a number of examples of possible conflict. In the best of all worlds, there will be no conflict. The policy statements under this legislation and under the Planning Act will emerge with no inconsistencies between them. But how do we get from here to there? Energy is an obvious area where there could well be conflict. A development, such as a wind farm or barrage, in one geographical area may affect another geographical area. A development which will contribute to the reduction in emissions may be good for everybody on the land but may raise issues about the effect on the immediate marine environment. Access to the grid was also referred to in the previous debate. I am pretty sure my amendments to Clause 42 are not the answer but at least they enable me to raise the question and to probe the Minister’s optimism. Amendment 89AA is essentially the same point as applied to marine plans rather than marine policy statements. I beg to move.