Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill

With respect, the Minister has missed my point. If the only reference to sustainable development is that it is a spin-off from the rest of subsection (1), and that it is not a purpose in its own right at all, my worry is that there is no question of a balancing act. I am not trying to give any priorities to the balancing; I just want Natural England to be allowed to weigh sustainable development against other things, so that it features in subsection (2) as an issue that Natural England is allowed to consider. I am not trying to interfere with its weighting of the various factors. ““Thereby””, however, means that sustainable development is a spin-off; it does not mean that it is a purpose or object of Natural England at all.