Huw Irranca-Davies (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Marine and Natural Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Ogmore, Labour)

It is good to be under your stewardship today, Mr. Pope. We had storms as a backdrop to our last sitting. Today, the skies are clear—just the day for walking the coast rather than sitting here. However, we have an important job to do.

The clause defines the English coast for the purposes of this part of the Bill. It refers to the

“coast of England adjacent to the sea”.

It includes the coast of any island, except for excluded islands. Islands that are not excluded—those islands considered part of the English coast—are those that are accessible on foot. It must be possible to walk to the island across the foreshore, or by means of a bridge, a tunnel or a causeway, either from the mainland of England or from another accessible island. It also includes islands that are accessible on foot only at certain times, such as at low tide.

If an island is not accessible on foot, and is therefore excluded, the Secretary of State may choose to specify by order that it is included in the definition of the English coast, provided that they are satisfied that the coast of the island is long enough to offer an adequate walk-in route. We will consider whether there are any islands that are not accessible on foot that should be included.

The case for including the Isle of Wight has been made in the other place. That is our largest free-standing island which, by and large, possesses the same characteristics as a large part of the English coast and its hinterland. The Isle of Wight is also a unitary authority in its own right. The coastal path spans the whole of the island and includes 67 miles of well-maintained paths, and the island can be reached by regular ferry services. In our view, that puts the island into a specific category compared  with other “inaccessible” islands, and we will take steps to issue an order to include the Isle of Wight under clause 294(2)(b). With that assurance and clarification, I commend the clause to the Committee.