New Clause 5
Commons Bill [Lords]
3:00 pm
James Paice (Shadow Minister (Agriculture & Rural Affairs), Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; South East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)
I am grateful to the Minister. As I said at the outset, I did not expect him to accept the amendment. Indeed, he has explained not only why he will not accept it, but why it is unnecessary. Nevertheless, it has given him the opportunity to place on the record the Government’s intention to set up such a stakeholder group.
It is getting late in the afternoon, but my right hon. Friend the Member for Penrith and The Border said that perhaps the stakeholders were useful in respect of the fencing measures that we referred to earlier—but that might be lost on some hon. Members. [Interruption.] Yes, it was much better when my hon. Friend was Chief Whip, because he was not allowed to speak. Nevertheless, I am pleased that the Minister will take up the idea of an advisory group, and I hope that it will involve a lot of people with the on-the-ground practical experience to which I referred. In that light, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.