Clause 319
Marine and Coastal Access Bill [Lords]
12:15 pm
Andrew George (St Ives, Liberal Democrat)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Gale. I thank you and Mr. Pope. I also associate myself with the thanks and appreciation that the Minister and the hon. Member for Newbury have expressed to all those involved in the preparation and guiding of the process, which we have frankly simply been fronting? Many organisations have been passionately campaigning for and supporting the process. I also associate myself with the views expressed about the late Lord Kingsland.
During the proceedings, I have not sought to enforce the favour that I believe the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs still owes me, but I thank and congratulate him and the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland on the manner in which they have conducted themselves, which has made the proceedings a great deal more constructive and has been beneficial to the legislation.
My final point is to repeat that this is a very important piece of legislation. We have merely completed the Committee debates. I urge the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in speaking to business managers and on Report, to remember that a number of issues raised during these debates still remain. They concern local accountability and ensuring that the MMO and Natural England do not micro-manage local circumstances and also that the local authorities have a role in this and that we get, and test that we have, the right and fair balance between conservation and socio-economic consequences. There are also still the issues of ensuring that the Bill has a real impact beyond the six-mile limit and of compensation on the coastal margins, which needs teasing out still further.
Once the announcement has been made during the summer recess about the boundaries of the IFCAs and the new authorities, residual issues may well arise. We may need to come back to consider those issues on Report, when I hope that there will be sufficient time to debate those, and other, issues as well.