Clause 117
Marine and Coastal Access Bill [Lords]
4:00 pm
Richard Benyon (Shadow Minister, Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Newbury, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment 14, in clause 117, page 78, line 35, at end insert—
‘(c) the scientific basis behind the designation (including local conservation, environmental and global science) and confirmation that it has been accepted as valid by the Marine Management Organisation’s Chief Scientific Adviser and the Science Advisory Panel.’.
Good afternoon, Mr. Pope. It is a great pleasure to be under your watchful eye this afternoon, as it will be in many sittings in the coming two or three weeks.
In considering clause 117 we come to the heart of the Bill and an issue that a large number of organisations have a particular interest in: marine conservation zones. This morning we were talking about the term “best science”, which is particularly relevant to this area. Clause 117 outlines
“Grounds for designation of MCZs”.
Our amendment would insert a paragraph to expand on the scientific element of the designation of MCZs, and ensure that we meet two key objectives. The first objective is, in the designation of MCZs, to secure the inclusion of all types of science in the process of consideration by the four regional MCZ projects, the statutory nature conservation bodies, the Marine Management Organisation and the Secretary of State. The second objective is to ensure the validity of what constitutes “best available science”.
The designation of MCZs will be based, as we know, on the “best available science”. However, currently there is neither a definition of that term nor any safeguard to ensure that such science is widely recognised as being valid and a meaningful contribution.
One of the biggest threats to the marine environment is of course climate change. However, when the Government refer to “best available science” it is unclear whether they are including climate change science or what some people refer to as global science. Given the importance of minimising the impact of climate change, we believe the Bill should be amended to include consideration of global science matters such as climate change and other recognised global or international science, in order better to inform the MCZ designation process.
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, the Minister in the other place, has given verbal assurances that “best available science” means science that is, as he put it,
“peer-reviewed in the normal way”.
However, it would be helpful if the Committee received the same assurance from the Minister today.