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Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

My Lords, I want to identify myself firmly yet again with my noble friend, whom I supported in Committee. His point is that local authorities must begin to embrace the concept of biodiversity in a much more comprehensive way. I understand and genuinely appreciate that to have that in the Bill would create difficulties for local authorities and the Minister. Yet the point my noble friend makes is absolutely right, so I hope that the Minister will give a robust indication in his reply that it is indeed Government policy to ensure that local authorities embrace biodiversity much more positively than they have up ’til now.