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Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

I am perplexed by the amendment. We want to ensure that the best possible people are on the board. My experience of organisations in which I have been involved suggests that there is a danger of limiting the availability of people to serve if the result of giving serious service over several days a week are financial penalties affecting their pension when they retire from their other work. Such a flexible provision is an extremely sensible and cautious arrangement to ensure that the list of available people on whom we can call to serve—invaluably, we hope—is as wide as possible.