Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

I thank the Minister for that response. One definition of "holistic" is "full of holes", although I do not for a moment seek to suggest to the Committee that the noble Lord’s response was full of holes. This has been a useful debate because it shows that, in their proposals in the Bill, the Government are seeking to simplify a process. I am not entirely sure that the Committee has been convinced that the legislation as written will in fact simplify it. To that extent, we have had a useful debate in this important area. We would all agree that applicants need to know that, when they are setting out on the process of any sort of development, they are not entering into a mare’s nest of competing interests that will be raising or lowering the bar or making life generally difficult. Any single or one-stop process must be preferred, but I am not entirely sure that the way in which the Government are going about it at the moment is the best way of achieving it. We can leave that matter till later. Clause 75 agreed. Clauses 76 and 77 agreed.