UK Parliament / Open data

Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

As the noble Lord, Lord Dixon-Smith, pointed out, the Public Bill Office has done a first class job in listing all the amendments that are consequential to this amendment. This will be the largest group of amendments and, I hope, the shortest debate in the Committee on the Bill. I am sure that the Chairman will wish to call large blocks of amendments, ““Not moved””. We must be careful not to turn this into a joke. We must not leave this important organisation with a risible title. I mentioned the title to somebody outside this debate. He said that Natural England sounded like a brand of yoghurt. I favour the title ““Commission for Natural England””. That retains the words ““Natural England””, which I know the Government want. Perhaps we should have ““Natural England Commission””. I am not so keen on ““Natural England Executive”” or ““Natural England Agency””. We have the Home Grown Cereals Authority, the Meat and Livestock Commission, the Countryside Agency, and we used to have the Countryside Commission. We have the Rural Development Service, the Environment Agency and the Commission for Rural Communities. Now we have poor old Natural England, which sticks out like a sore thumb without the right subscript. I hope that between now and Report stage the Minister can consider this and that we can choose a title which we can all agree with.

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

677 c1094-5 

Session

2005-06

Chamber / Committee

House of Lords chamber
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