The broads are an important area nationally. They are important for their history, appearance and biodiversity, and for the opportunity that they provide for recreation. On that basis, they fully deserve their designation. The reason why the area is not designated as a national park has been dealt with. It...

The broads are an important area nationally. They are important for their history, appearance and biodiversity, and for the opportunity that they provide for recreation. On that basis, they fully deserve their designation. The reason why the area is not designated as a national park has been dealt with. It...

Hon. Members may ask why on earth I am speaking in this debate, given that my constituency is in the middle of England and nowhere near Norfolk or Suffolk. My experience of the broads is also very limited and gained many years ago. However, I chair the all-party waterways group,...

Hon. Members may ask why on earth I am speaking in this debate, given that my constituency is in the middle of England and nowhere near Norfolk or Suffolk. My experience of the broads is also very limited and gained many years ago. However, I chair the all-party waterways group,...

Will my hon. Friend acknowledge that the authority will not just go in and cut back trees without contacting the people on whose land those trees are growing? There will be consultation.

Will my hon. Friend acknowledge that the authority will not just go in and cut back trees without contacting the people on whose land those trees are growing? There will be consultation.

As the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson) said, a large part of the broads navigation network lies in his constituency. However, the Bill is also important to my constituency because a large part of the southern broads system is in it, most notably Oulton broad and the River Waveney,...

As the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson) said, a large part of the broads navigation network lies in his constituency. However, the Bill is also important to my constituency because a large part of the southern broads system is in it, most notably Oulton broad and the River Waveney,...

The hon. Gentleman is being very balanced in his remarks. He has referred to the difficulty of dealing with the broads as a national park per se because of the navigation interests, and he is grappling with the question of how to get parish representation, which, as he says, has...

The hon. Gentleman is being very balanced in his remarks. He has referred to the difficulty of dealing with the broads as a national park per se because of the navigation interests, and he is grappling with the question of how to get parish representation, which, as he says, has...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that. It seems that there is continuing dialogue and the petitioners may have some hopes that some of their concerns may be addressed. That may be done in Committee, but if not I am sure that those concerns will be considered in the other...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that. It seems that there is continuing dialogue and the petitioners may have some hopes that some of their concerns may be addressed. That may be done in Committee, but if not I am sure that those concerns will be considered in the other...

I thank my hon. Friend and agree that it is much better. Again, I am fully aware that it has to be seen in practice. When the Bill reaches its final manifestations and sees the light, I hope that it will be very apparent that this is a major factor...

I thank my hon. Friend and agree that it is much better. Again, I am fully aware that it has to be seen in practice. When the Bill reaches its final manifestations and sees the light, I hope that it will be very apparent that this is a major factor...

Madam Deputy Speaker, may I thank you, as the First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, for allowing us to have this short debate this afternoon? My hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon)—who sends his apologies for not being here because of a family bereavement—and I objected...

Madam Deputy Speaker, may I thank you, as the First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, for allowing us to have this short debate this afternoon? My hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon)—who sends his apologies for not being here because of a family bereavement—and I objected...

The hon. Gentleman is right to point out that, in terms of definition and under the Sandford principles, the broads are not a national park. The phraseology that many of us have used on many occasions is that it is a full and special member of the national parks family....

The hon. Gentleman is right to point out that, in terms of definition and under the Sandford principles, the broads are not a national park. The phraseology that many of us have used on many occasions is that it is a full and special member of the national parks family....

I have been through this matter with constituents and with the Broads Authority in my office. We were given assurances—and it is stipulated in the Bill—that expenditure on navigation must be at least equal to or greater than the income from navigation. That provides a lot of comfort to those...

I have been through this matter with constituents and with the Broads Authority in my office. We were given assurances—and it is stipulated in the Bill—that expenditure on navigation must be at least equal to or greater than the income from navigation. That provides a lot of comfort to those...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, but my point centred on the issue of transparency. The question is whether, in the absence of a separate account, people who have paid the tolls or the taxes will be able to see where their money is going.

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, but my point centred on the issue of transparency. The question is whether, in the absence of a separate account, people who have paid the tolls or the taxes will be able to see where their money is going.

I am listening carefully to the hon. Gentleman. I am an East Anglian MP; obviously I do not have the same close knowledge of Norfolk as the hon. Gentleman and other Norfolk MPs, but I take a close interest in the area. The question of where the money goes is...

I am listening carefully to the hon. Gentleman. I am an East Anglian MP; obviously I do not have the same close knowledge of Norfolk as the hon. Gentleman and other Norfolk MPs, but I take a close interest in the area. The question of where the money goes is...

The hon. Gentleman asks who cares whether the agreements are legally binding. Many people care, because those pieces of paper ensure that the Bill’s powers, which seem at face value quite draconian, cannot be used or changed without the agreement of the parties involved. If those agreements are not legally...

The hon. Gentleman asks who cares whether the agreements are legally binding. Many people care, because those pieces of paper ensure that the Bill’s powers, which seem at face value quite draconian, cannot be used or changed without the agreement of the parties involved. If those agreements are not legally...

May I attempt to answer that? It is quite complicated. I am told that, as soon as the Bill is passed, what are described as contracts will become legally binding. The reasons why their contents are not included in the Bill is that people may want to change certain aspects...

May I attempt to answer that? It is quite complicated. I am told that, as soon as the Bill is passed, what are described as contracts will become legally binding. The reasons why their contents are not included in the Bill is that people may want to change certain aspects...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for reinforcing that point and I would like to congratulate him, along with the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon), on securing this debate. They were determined enough to have the matter debated in the House and it is right that we...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for reinforcing that point and I would like to congratulate him, along with the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon), on securing this debate. They were determined enough to have the matter debated in the House and it is right that we...

The hon. Gentleman is making a powerful point, with a strong message endorsed by hon. Members associated with Norfolk. There are two parts to that message. First, we believe, in principle, that a parish or town representative should be on the board. That may be done by someone being drafted...

The hon. Gentleman is making a powerful point, with a strong message endorsed by hon. Members associated with Norfolk. There are two parts to that message. First, we believe, in principle, that a parish or town representative should be on the board. That may be done by someone being drafted...

Listening to the debate between the hon. Gentleman and the hon. Member for Norwich, North, it seems to me that what we have is almost a memorandum of understanding, rather than some form of binding legal agreement. I am not being pedantic. I accept the fact that, as the hon....

Listening to the debate between the hon. Gentleman and the hon. Member for Norwich, North, it seems to me that what we have is almost a memorandum of understanding, rather than some form of binding legal agreement. I am not being pedantic. I accept the fact that, as the hon....

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that intervention, and I pay tribute to the interest that he took in the broads when he was a Minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I know that he went on holiday there as a child, and I remember...

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that intervention, and I pay tribute to the interest that he took in the broads when he was a Minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I know that he went on holiday there as a child, and I remember...

I am grateful for that. To answer the previous intervention, from the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk, what we need is a legal opinion. We can have reassurances from the Broads Authority and from the hon. Member for Norwich, North, but we need a legal opinion that confirms how the agreements...

I am grateful for that. To answer the previous intervention, from the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk, what we need is a legal opinion. We can have reassurances from the Broads Authority and from the hon. Member for Norwich, North, but we need a legal opinion that confirms how the agreements...

I congratulate not only the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on his excellent speech but every Member who has participated in the debate. Like the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb), I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson) for the way in which...

I congratulate not only the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on his excellent speech but every Member who has participated in the debate. Like the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb), I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson) for the way in which...