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Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

My Lords, I hope that the House will forgive me for getting up at this stage to confirm our support for the amendment tabled by my noble friend. We had lengthy and useful discussions in Committee and on Report on this aspect of the Bill and there is a great deal of interest in it inside and outside this House. I set out at length—maybe at too much length on one occasion—the sound reasons why we could not accept the earlier amendments setting a cut-off date of 9 December 2003. Having said that, and without wanting to repeat those arguments, the Government recognise the cross-party strength of feeling on this issue. A huge amount of correspondence about this has been received not only by Members of Parliament but also by Members of this House. That correspondence has been reflected in the strength of feeling expressed here and in the other place. In recognition of that strength of feeling that the Government are prepared—reluctantly—to accept a cut-off date of 20 January 2003, which, as my noble friend said, represents the end of the consultation period. We feel that this date could be justified. I am sorry, I am wrong—