Habitat regulations

That this House recognises that the public overwhelmingly values nature, and expresses concern that recommendations 11 and 12 of the Nuclear Regulatory Review propose a weakening of the Habitats Regulations; believes that this would constitute a sledgehammer to crack a nut; notes that the Habitats Regulations applied in full during periods of speedy infrastructure delivery before the austerity of the last Government; further notes that reported recent Habitats Regulations issues affecting nuclear projects can be traced back to cuts to regulators and planning bodies and to project and political decisions; highlights that these issues could be swiftly resolved by improved guidance and by increasing ecological skills and capacity in the planning system; warns that the Review proposal to instead weaken the Habitats Regulations would unnecessarily undermine legal protections for our most important sites for wildlife at a time of accelerating nature decline and take longer than non-legislative action; and urges the Government to remember its welcome commitment to deliver infrastructure alongside nature recovery.