Lord Roborough (Con)

My Lords, I will also speak to Amendments 306A and 308 in my name. These amendments seek to introduce clarity, proportionality and fairness into the operation of this new levy. Amendment 299 seeks to specify the principles governing payment, liability and the calculation of the amount payable under the nature restoration levy. I appreciate that the noble Baroness the Minister wrote a very helpful letter today laying out some of the process that developers will be subject to here. It is essential that developers have certainty and predictability. Clarity on who pays and how much they pay is fundamental to ensuring a functional and trusted levy regime that does not deter responsible development. There is considerable concern over the cost to developers of the EDP, particularly given that it appears it will be taken outside the Section 106 agreement and therefore threaten the financial viability of developments. My noble friend Lord Lansley appears to have a similar intent with Amendment 306, and I will listen to his comments with interest. Amendment 306A deals with proportionality. It would recognise that, in some cases, even after applying the mitigation hierarchy in full, there may still be residual environmental impacts. This amendment would allow for a proportionate contribution, not a full contribution, to be levied in such cases. It would ensure that developers who are genuinely taking steps to minimise harm are not disproportionately penalised, while still upholding our responsibility to invest in nature restoration where impacts cannot be wholly addressed on site. I believe that this is an important environmental protection that ensures that mitigation on site remains incentivised, as it would result in a reduced contribution to the nature restoration fund. This would also help to ensure that private sector services remain important for developers. My noble friend Lord Grayling’s Amendment 305 again appears to pursue a similar aim, and I am sure that we will speak prior to Report if we do not receive satisfactory reassurance today. Amendment 308 turns to implementation. It would ensure that the regulations governing the nature restoration levy include provisions for how it is to be collected and enforced. Crucially, it would require that the funds received are spent by Natural England on conservation measures directly linked to the environmental feature that justified the levy in the first place. This would not only increase transparency but maintain public trust in the system. Further, the amendment includes a right of appeal on a question of fact related to the calculation of the levy. This is a basic principle of fairness and accountability. I believe that these are sensible amendments. They do not seek to undermine the nature restoration funds, but rather to ensure its integrity, effectiveness and fairness, all of which are principles that should be central to any regulatory mechanism. Put together, the amendments in my name would form a coherent and practical approach to ensuring that the nature restoration levy supports both environmental enhancement and sustainable development. I look forward to the remarks from noble Lords on all Benches. I beg to move.