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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

I agree with the hon. Member for Foyle (Mark Durkan). Generally speaking, the new clause is uncontentious and will be broadly welcomed, but I want to tease out some details. Sustainable development is new to the Bill and was not discussed on Second Reading or in Committee. One of the difficulties of a miscellaneous provisions Bill is that we might have to deal with things that come almost out of nowhere and at any stage, whether it is in Committee or on Report. Nevertheless, sustainable development and the aims for public authorities are laudable. Subsection (1) states:"““A public authority must, in exercising its functions, act in the way it considers best calculated to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development…except to the extent””—" this is what concerns me—"““that it considers that any such action is not reasonably practicable in all the circumstances of the case.””" As we know, a get-out clause is always written in for such matters. What examples does the Minister have in mind? What circumstances could a public authority use as a means of avoiding action that it might otherwise take?