Over the last year we have taken significant action on nature recovery. In December 2025 we launched our revised Environmental Improvement Plan (the EIP) to restore nature, move to a more circular economy and protect our environmental security. We know the scale of the challenge; we are matching our ambition...

Over the last year we have taken significant action on nature recovery. In December 2025 we launched our revised Environmental Improvement Plan (the EIP) to restore nature, move to a more circular economy and protect our environmental security. We know the scale of the challenge; we are matching our ambition...

My Honourable Friend the Minister for Nature (Mary Creagh MP) has made the following statement.

Over the last year we have taken significant action on nature recovery. In December 2025 we launched our revised Environmental Improvement Plan (the EIP) to restore nature, move to a more circular economy and protect our...

My Honourable Friend the Minister for Nature (Mary Creagh MP) has made the following statement.

Over the last year we have taken significant action on nature recovery. In December 2025 we launched our revised Environmental Improvement Plan (the EIP) to restore nature, move to a more circular economy and protect our...

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Protected Landscapes duty will be maintained and strengthened.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Protected Landscapes duty will be maintained and strengthened.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce environmental harm caused by glass‑reinforced plastic pollution in protected landscapes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce environmental harm caused by glass‑reinforced plastic pollution in protected landscapes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action is being taken to support farming in protected landscapes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action is being taken to support farming in protected landscapes.

My Lords, on Clause 6, I have a contrary view to that of the noble Lord, Lord Jamieson. I start by reminding the Committee that I have a registered interest as a councillor on Kirklees Council, which directly manages council housing in the borough.

The amendment in my name is related...

My Lords, on Clause 6, I have a contrary view to that of the noble Lord, Lord Jamieson. I start by reminding the Committee that I have a registered interest as a councillor on Kirklees Council, which directly manages council housing in the borough.

The amendment in my name is related...

My Lords, before I speak to my Amendment 19, I would like to support my noble friend Lord Jamieson in his promotion of Amendment 25 in respect of rural areas. I have been in enough debates in this House to know how hard it is for the term “rural” to...

My Lords, before I speak to my Amendment 19, I would like to support my noble friend Lord Jamieson in his promotion of Amendment 25 in respect of rural areas. I have been in enough debates in this House to know how hard it is for the term “rural” to...

My Lords, I will speak to my Amendment 20. Before I do so, I must refer to my interests for the purposes of this Committee as a retired member of a Somerset farming family which lets some houses on the farm. I thank noble Lords who have supported this amendment,...

My Lords, I will speak to my Amendment 20. Before I do so, I must refer to my interests for the purposes of this Committee as a retired member of a Somerset farming family which lets some houses on the farm. I thank noble Lords who have supported this amendment,...

My Lords, I support Amendment 20 in the name of my noble friend Lord Cameron of Dillington, and I declare my various housing interests as in the register. Before considering Amendment 20, perhaps I could extend a word of dissent to the Clause 6 stand part notice in the name...

My Lords, I support Amendment 20 in the name of my noble friend Lord Cameron of Dillington, and I declare my various housing interests as in the register. Before considering Amendment 20, perhaps I could extend a word of dissent to the Clause 6 stand part notice in the name...

My Lords, I tabled Amendments 21, 23 and 24. Amendment 21 is designed to try to understand how the Bill works. It is my understanding that there already are regulations on what is defined as rural, and that they are set out as the noble Lord, Lord Cameron, referred to...

My Lords, I tabled Amendments 21, 23 and 24. Amendment 21 is designed to try to understand how the Bill works. It is my understanding that there already are regulations on what is defined as rural, and that they are set out as the noble Lord, Lord Cameron, referred to...

My Lords, I will speak to the clause stand part notices and to Amendment 16 from the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, to which I have attached my name. Just for clarity, for the noble Lord, Lord Jamieson, his reasons and mine

for signing the Clause 6 stand part notice are—I...

My Lords, I will speak to the clause stand part notices and to Amendment 16 from the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, to which I have attached my name. Just for clarity, for the noble Lord, Lord Jamieson, his reasons and mine

for signing the Clause 6 stand part notice are—I...

My Lords, indeed I agree that my noble friend Lady Pinnock has given us a very good start, and she was quite passionate in what she was saying. I did tell her there would be a “but”, but it is only a very small one. We absolutely agree in principle...

My Lords, indeed I agree that my noble friend Lady Pinnock has given us a very good start, and she was quite passionate in what she was saying. I did tell her there would be a “but”, but it is only a very small one. We absolutely agree in principle...

My Lords, before I respond directly to the amendments, I agree with much of what the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, said about the issues around housing in rural areas. I might send her some of the Focus leaflets that I have seen objecting to rural developments.

I begin by focusing on...

My Lords, before I respond directly to the amendments, I agree with much of what the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, said about the issues around housing in rural areas. I might send her some of the Focus leaflets that I have seen objecting to rural developments.

I begin by focusing on...

The Minister has provoked me now. All those are positive moves, but how much do they add up to? That is the question. The enormous sum of money that the Government have made available for affordable—I hate that word—and social housing adds up to 180,000 new homes over 10 years,...

The Minister has provoked me now. All those are positive moves, but how much do they add up to? That is the question. The enormous sum of money that the Government have made available for affordable—I hate that word—and social housing adds up to 180,000 new homes over 10 years,...

I accept to a certain extent what the noble Baroness is saying. No one would be more ambitious than me to deliver more social housing. We are in government and we have to deal with the financial circumstances that we inherited, which included an enormous financial black hole. In that...

I accept to a certain extent what the noble Baroness is saying. No one would be more ambitious than me to deliver more social housing. We are in government and we have to deal with the financial circumstances that we inherited, which included an enormous financial black hole. In that...

I believe the Minister made a very helpful clarification, and I want to ensure that I heard correctly that it would be up to the local council to have the right of first refusal. Therefore, somebody who owns a right-to-buy house would have to contact only the local council and...

I believe the Minister made a very helpful clarification, and I want to ensure that I heard correctly that it would be up to the local council to have the right of first refusal. Therefore, somebody who owns a right-to-buy house would have to contact only the local council and...

As the noble Lord will be aware, we are moving to single-tier councils across the country, but he is quite correct in his assumption.

As the noble Lord will be aware, we are moving to single-tier councils across the country, but he is quite correct in his assumption.

I thank the Minister for that clarification; it certainly would make it easier that somebody does not have to chase 15 different housing associations that have merged or demerged.

This has been an insightful debate, and I thank noble Lords for the points they have raised. There are evidently some concerns...

I thank the Minister for that clarification; it certainly would make it easier that somebody does not have to chase 15 different housing associations that have merged or demerged.

This has been an insightful debate, and I thank noble Lords for the points they have raised. There are evidently some concerns...

Moved by

Lord Jamieson

26: Clause 9, page 8, line 7, leave out “a determination” and insert “regulations”

Member's explanatory statement

This amendment removes the power of the Secretary of State to make a determination, but that changes to the use of capital receipts must be made by regulations instead.

Moved by

Lord Jamieson

26: Clause 9, page 8, line 7, leave out “a determination” and insert “regulations”

Member's explanatory statement

This amendment removes the power of the Secretary of State to make a determination, but that changes to the use of capital receipts must be made by regulations instead.

My Lords, I speak to the amendment in my name and that of my noble friend Lady O’Neill. Our amendments are concerned with the governance of capital receipts, and in particular the scope of the Secretary of State’s powers under Clause 9 to determine their use. As currently drafted, Clause...

My Lords, I speak to the amendment in my name and that of my noble friend Lady O’Neill. Our amendments are concerned with the governance of capital receipts, and in particular the scope of the Secretary of State’s powers under Clause 9 to determine their use. As currently drafted, Clause...