Access to Nature Green Paper

Lord Swire Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

I have only recently been made aware of this and I am currently looking at it. The noble Lord raises an important point. One of the things that we need to be more aware of as a Government is how we maintain what we already have, as well as looking at new access.

[Lord Swire (Con)]

Will the Minister not concede that it would be self-defeating if, on the one hand, we were to encourage more people to go out and see our unrivalled countryside while, at the same time, presiding over the largest explosion of overhead power lines, up and down the country, in some of our most vulnerable landscapes? What more can the Government do to ensure that there is better co-ordination for the transmission of overhead power, and that as much of that power as possible goes underground?

[Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)]

Whether or not it goes underground is a matter for each individual project and is something that happens during the consent process. Access to nature is important for many people, and you can find nature in urban environments as well; it does not have to be just for the countryside.