National Trust Acts

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury Excerpts

Tuesday 21st January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I am sure that all noble Lords would agree with one of the co-founders of the National Trust, Octavia Hill—herself probably viewed as quite radical at the time—when she said that

“We all want quiet. We all want beauty … we all need space”.


It behoves all of us to support the National Trust in ensuring that there is equality of access to nature and history, by both opening up historic buildings and preserving heritage and our countryside in a way that preserves it for the future.

[Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (LD)]

My Lords, local authority expenditure has fallen dramatically in recent years, as has DCMS grant in aid. Heritage organisations are struggling with managing and maintaining both buildings and the natural environment. The National Trust’s new 10-year strategy highlights this. As well as bricks and mortar, the National Trust includes the white cliffs of Dover and sections of the Welsh coastal path in its areas of responsibility. How do the Government intend to help support the heritage sector to be resilient and net-zero efficient in protecting its heritage assets?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

One of the ways that the trust is trying to ensure that the countryside, peatland and so forth are available for future generations is through its work to help the UK reach net zero by 2050. This Government have committed to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than that in which we found it. We are very supportive of the work that the National Trust does, as the biggest conservation charity in Europe, to ensure that future generations can enjoy what many of us enjoy on a regular basis.