Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

In response to the noble Baroness, Lady Carnegy, I want to make it clear that this relates to the electricity generating industry. She went on to ask about harbours, particularly as the noble Lord, Lord Tyler, pointed out that harbours can vary in size between enormous ports and very small concerns. Because this Bill is about marine issues, harbours are an important part of our client group, so I want to reassure the noble Baroness that, when I said that the industry supports this approach, I sought to include both categories of harbour within that framework. I omitted to respond to the point made a little earlier in the debate by the noble Lord, Lord Bridges, about wrecks. We are concerned that the marine environment should embrace any site, including those comprising the remains of any vessel, ""which is of historic or archaeological interest"." Clause 112(2) makes that quite explicit. We are very mindful of that point. It is an important one and I ought to have given the noble Lord a direct answer a moment ago. I am having a little more difficulty with the question put by the noble Baroness, Lady Miller, because I was dealing with issues related to harbour authorities, and she will recognise their position in relation to the Bill. I shall have to write with a more specific response to the question of local authorities and their relationship with harbours. However, I emphasise that, within this framework, these are issues that relate to all the powers under the Harbours Act 1964, and I sought to be definitive in relation to that legislation. The noble Baroness asked a slightly more extraneous question and I am not sure that I am in a position to answer her directly. However, it is somewhat tangential to the main issues in this clause, which relates to the Electricity Act and the Harbours Act.