Member

We on these Benches very much welcome the changes that the Government have made so far to Part 3; there is now a stronger requirement in the overall improvement test, and some irreplaceable habitats have been removed. However, nobody could say that the changes made have delivered the overall protection that nature needs if we are to be able to meet our legally binding biodiversity targets. It is now more about offsetting and hope, not the certainties that we have in some of the habitat regulations and biodiversity net gain.