Clause 33 - Purpose of functions under this Part
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill
2:00 pm
James Paice (Shadow Minister (Agriculture), Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; South East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)
We can debate it if my hon. Friend really wants to, but I suspect that he would give me short shrift if I started to do so.
How committed are we to sustainable development? We debated earlier whether Natural England was to be promoting or contributing, and in this clause the JNCC is to
“have regard to ... the desirability of contributing to sustainable development”,
which is extremely vague. The words “have regard to” are vague and “the desirability of contributing” is pretty vague, so when, as in this subsection (2)(b), the two are put in train, we end up with a serious lack of commitment.
The JNCC’s responsibilities are fairly narrow and we will support them, but if it is going to have any relationship with sustainable development, surely it ought to be as committed to the principle as everybody else. That is not to suggest that it should abandon its principles about being primarily a conservation body with the responsibilities set out in clause 33(1), but it should be committed. I am concerned that the double phrasing of “have regard to” with “the desirability of” is too vague to be meaningful.
Article 2(3) of the habitats directive, which we are signed up to, refers to the commitment to sustainable development. The Government are committed to that concept, as are the Opposition. If the habitats directive can refer to the commitment to sustainable development, it would be odd if the JNCC—the very body that has to report to the Government about the habitats directive—were not committed to sustainable development.
This is another short, sharp, self-explanatory amendment and I hope that the Minister will not say that it is unnecessary, because it slightly firms up what we are trying to achieve. We want to ensure that the JNCC, like other bodies, is committed to the overall objective of sustainable development.