Marine Bill not Included in PM's Statement

In the Prime Minister' Statement to Parliament today, outlining the Government's future legislative programme, Proposals for a Marine Bill, mooted in a recent White Paper, were conspicuous by their absence.

This will be a blow to those organisations which saw the bill not only as a vehicle  introducing tools to better to manage all of the activities that take place in the marine environment, but also giving the government powers to better protect the marine environment from rapidly increasing pressures.

Although the future of the Marine Bill proposals must now be in doubt, there will undoubtedly increased campaigning to ensure that any proposals that may come to Parliament will be inclusive of many issues that have not yet been fully developed, such as the need to manage the land/sea interface and to take account of the special nature of our close inshore waters. 

Statement by Martin Salter MP

Comment from The Guardian

Answer to Parliamentary Question - 19 July 07

The Times - 3 August 07