Member

It is always good to start with a debate on the purpose of a Bill, as the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, was saying, although, unlike my noble friend Lord Banner, I have some doubts about adding such a clause to a Bill. That is because it is so very difficult to get it right in an ever-changing world, and because such clauses tend to lead to more, not less, legal argy-bargy. However, I agree with my noble friend Lord Banner that environmental impact assessments could be simplified—I was also present at their birth, I am embarrassed to say.