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Government Response to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Report

The Government have today published their response to the EFRA Committee report, ““The Government's Rural Strategy and the draft Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill””, published on 26 March 2005. The Government's response includes detailed replies to the Committee's recommendations following its pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Bill. The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 19 May 2005. Second Reading is provisionally scheduled to take place on Monday, 6 June 2005. A copy of the EFRA Committee report is available on the House of Commons website. The Government's response and further information on the Bill are available at: www.defra.gov.uk/rural/ruraldelivery.