For this encounter, which can be read in full in Hansard, the government provided two big fish, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath and Lord Davies of Oldham, to fend off the attentions of the well briefed opposition peers.
Basking shark Scotland ca 1950. Image Courtesy of York University.
Today’s Independent has exposed the issue which has been unfolding in the debates on the Marine and Coastal Access Bill.
Geoffrey Lean gives a clear account of the government’s backsliding on the Bill, with trenchant criticism from RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts:
Ministers are reneging on promises to safeguard vital wildlife areas around Britain’s coasts from destruction through “world-leading” legislation, The Independent on Sunday can reveal.
They have diluted plans to set up highly protected areas where dredging and drilling are banned in the Marine Bill that is working its way through Parliament.
For more details, see the full article on the Independent website.
On 28th January, while the MPs in the Commons were queuing up to sign EDM 337 (84 at the time of writing), the Lords reached Clause 42. This was a complex debate, extending over five hours – looking at
The noble lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, earned his corn responding to a bewildering variety of enquiries and recommendations. He would have slept easily however, as the government’s position remained unmoved on all the issues raised.
The full text may be followed here.
We are grateful to York University for the illustration
On Wednesday 21 January, the noble lords locked horns for a second time, with a second bite at Clause 2, and a nibble at Clause 14.
The full Hansard report is on the Parliament Publications website.
The discussions on Clause 2 are significant, because they deal with the Bill’s view of the objectives of the new Quango which will be spawned by the legislation. This will be called the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). Will it be a “Champion of the Seas”, or a bureaucratic pawn of the government of the day? Vital questions to all who support the Campaign for Marine Reserves.
