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Broads Authority Bill

My Lords, it is satisfying to see the Bill return from the committee. I thank all the distinguished Members of your Lordships’ House who have spent time evaluating and examining the Bill in a detail that we were unable to provide at Second Reading. Thanks to the Printed Paper Office, I have a record of the proceedings, which, as noble Lords might expect, were thorough and show the diligence with which this House deals with such matters. As I said at Second Reading, someone from Lincolnshire is wary of intervening in a subject that is Norfolk and Suffolk business. Yet we all have an interest in the effective management of the Broads area. It is a leisure destination for the whole nation and a unique environment that adds greatly to the biodiversity of our country. My noble friend Lord Ryder pointed out the degree to which it is a special place, perhaps unique in the British Isles. This has been a useful debate and I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hollis of Heigham, for bringing the Bill to Third Reading in the absence of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Norwich. It is a shame not to have the Abbot of St Benet’s here today, but the noble Baroness is a distinguished Member of the House and well qualified, as a Broads boat owner of some 30 years, to move the Motion at Third Reading. She had to disabuse me of my impression that she was from Potter Heigham, the bridge of which is one of the more prominent landmarks on the Broads. That in no way reduces the authority with which she speaks on this and other subjects. My own experience of the Broads is more limited, if lifelong. My visits on a modest, hired-for-the-day launch dropped off when my mastery of the vessel was challenged by younger but up-and-coming members of the crew. I am a less frequent visitor than I used to be. This Bill is primarily about the running of the authority, in particular the relationships between navigation and leisure, and other aspects of the running of the Broads. As we have discovered in debate, this is by no means straightforward. The authority’s navigation officer has to reconcile the interests of highly skilled yachtsmen and sailors with protecting the occasional leisure user and keeping them safe. I include myself in that latter category. I expressed concern at Second Reading about possible conflicts, and the noble Lord, Lord Glenarthur, indicated that he still has his concerns about the Bill. Many noble Lords speaking have done so. It is important that the authority listens to this criticism. I am pleased to have received a briefing from Dr John Packman, the chief executive of the Broads Authority. It is good to know that there is a continuing dialogue with government on how the Broads Authority—and, for that matter, national parks—connect with local authorities and communities. My noble friend Lady Shephard is right to emphasise this and to question the Government’s commitment to it. I hope that the Minister, an astute operator at the Dispatch Box, can respond positively to the cries from all speakers that local accountability and involvement are important. That must be the key. It is important that the authority is seen as a facilitator by local people and not an imposition. The noble Baroness, Lady Hollis, has today talked of changes to the Broads Forum. It is important that, if this is to address the issues that matter and be a real force in the governance of the Broads and not a talking shop, it should be truly representative of the local community and speak with the authority that comes from the mandate of local and community interests. However, it is no substitute for the direct involvement of the local community in the administration of the authority. Once again, I thank the noble Baroness for bringing the Bill forward, all other Peers for their contributions and my noble friends for their knowledgeable and wise contributions to the debate.