Member

Amendment 253A, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, would establish a new power for the Secretary of State to make regulations setting out the circumstances where an EDP may be required to be accompanied by certain information related to biodiversity. I agree it is vital that EDPs are underpinned by the best available scientific evidence—we have made that point a number of times. That is why, as I said, the Government introduced the amendments making clear what was already implicit, that when drafting, making and implementing EDPs, both Natural England and the Secretary of State must take account of the best available scientific evidence. It is for that reason that I hope I can assure the Committee that the Bill already ensures that appropriate environmental information is provided as part of the EDP insofar as that information is related to the environmental feature in question.