Member

Many noble Lords have made the point that Part 3 of the Bill gives enormous powers to Natural England. It is tasked with deciding where and when to introduce an EDP, what the EDP should and should not cover and how much developers should be charged for each species or feature covered by an EDP, collecting the funds into the Nature Restoration Fund, and having the powers of compulsory purchase and responsibility for delivering everything. Many noble Lords have commented on the motives and intentions of Natural England and I shall not be drawn into that today, but are we perhaps asking it to do a little too much? Would it not be better if we could perhaps use some of the other advisory bodies in Defra to help, notwithstanding what was in the papers earlier today? Would it not be better to spread the burden and address the problem of a potential conflict of interest with Natural England?