Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill — 6 Jun 2005 at 21:46

The issue in this division was whether to reject the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill for the reasons given. The division was on a 'reasoned amendment' which was moved by the Conservative front bench and gave the following reasons for halting progress on the Bill:

"this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill because, whilst making welcome amendments to wildlife protection and rights of way legislation, it nevertheless creates a new public body with far-reaching powers affecting the landscape of England and Wales and rural communities without setting the protection of the natural environment as the priority, without creating a simplified scheme of support for either the environment or rural communities and without any accountability at local or national level; and because it also creates a second public body with no function that cannot be effectively delivered by existing local authorities and by other elected bodies and gives the Secretary of State powers to abolish existing public bodies and to create new public bodies, endowing them with significant powers."

Those voting Aye were therefore rejecting the Bill for these reasons; those voting No were disagreeing with these reasons and expressing their support for the general principles of the Bill (although not necessarily in its full details).

Debate in Parliament | Source |