My Lords, I want to reinforce the points that have already been made in terms of some definitions of obligations and duties as far as the company is concerned. Amendment 15 would ensure that the road investment strategy outlines its social, economic and environmental objectives. The Government’s draft national policy statement, published recently, sets out the policy against which the Secretary of State will make decisions on applications for development consent for nationally significant infrastructure projects. The application should include guidance on mitigating environmental and social impacts and plans to enhance environmental benefits—objectives to which I am sure we would all subscribe.
However, the Bill references merely the strategic highways company’s “objectives”, without giving the new company a clear direction on how the road investment strategy will aim to ensure that its activities are carried out with the intention to provide benefits to society, the economy and the environment. For example, the strategy should incorporate an estimate of the impact on UK carbon emissions of building more roads infrastructure. It is inconceivable that we would have a perspective on such construction without having some assessment of the issue of emissions. It surrounds all aspects of aviation at present and it cannot be anything but an important issue, as far as the public are concerned, for roads.
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The Bill must appropriately recognise the importance of environmental issues and reflect them in the objectives and performance requirements of the company. Existing statutory duties on the environment are largely awareness-raising. They influence process rather than leading to particular outcomes, such as lower emissions. Despite there being a significant air quality problem in the United Kingdom, of which we are all aware, the Highways Agency has not sought to make gains in reducing air pollution. Rather, it seeks to indicate that any possible increase will be mitigated by something which balances it; for example, opening an extra lane but mitigating its impact by keeping down the speed limit on it. That is not a gain; it is just evening things out.
The threat of significant road expansion under the Government’s plans calls for effective environmental regulation—rather more than is provided for in existing
legislation—and this is the obvious opportunity. The Bill does not contain new requirements for the strategic highways company to improve air quality or to increase cycling or any aspects which may be conducive to improving the environment. The impact assessment identifies a risk that environmental and social goals will not be balanced with economic priorities. The amendment therefore proposes duties as to specific outcomes; for example, on air quality and, as my noble friend Lord Whitty just indicated, on safety. Of course, that is difficult include in primary legislation, and I have no doubt that the Government will say that such matters are best dealt with in licence and performance specification, but I want some assurance that the Government are taking these issues seriously.