Crown Estate Bill: call for evidence
13 January 2025
Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Crown Estate Bill [Lords], which is currently passing through Parliament?
If so, you can submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider this Bill.
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The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence. The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration. The Public Bill Committee will scrutinise the Bill line by line. The Public Bill Committee will meet twice on Thursday 6 February 2025 to consider the Bill and once in the morning of Tuesday 11 February. When the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 11.25am on Tuesday 11 February 2025. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible. |
Aims of the Bill
The primary aim of the bill is to remove limitations on the Crown Estate’s borrowing powers and the types of assets it can invest in.
The bill would also make changes to the Crown Estate’s governance, increasing the number of Crown Estate commissioners from 8 to 12 and paying them from the revenues generated by the Crown Estate rather than out of money provided by Parliament.
Amendments made in the Lords, supported by the government, would:
- require the commissioners to review the Crown Estate’s impact on achieving sustainable development.
- require the Crown Estate’s annual reports to include a summary of the partnership with Great British Energy and the benefits derived from it.
- require three commissioners to have a special responsibility to advise on conditions in Wales, Northern Ireland and England
An amendment agreed in the Lords, without government support, would:
- require commissioners to assess the environmental impact and animal welfare standards of salmon farms on the Crown Estate and revoke licences where damage is being caused. Applications would be refused for licences where there is potential for environmental damage or animal welfare concerns.
Follow the progress of the Crown Estate Bill [Lords]
The Crown Estate Bill (Bill 135 of 2024–25) was introduced to the House of Commons on 19 November 2024. It started in the Lords, where it was amended. It had its second reading in the Commons on 7 January 2025.
- Bills before Parliament: Crown Estate Bill [HL]
- Read Explanatory Notes: Crown Estate Bill [HL]
- House of Commons Library Briefing Paper
There will be no oral evidence sessions held for this Bill.
Guidance on submitting written evidence
Deadline for written evidence submissions
The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence. The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration.
Amendments tabled to the Bill, and information regarding the order in which amendments will be taken in Committee, will be available in due course on the Bill’s publications page (under ‘Amendment paper’ and ‘Selection of amendments’). Once the Committee has dealt with an amendment it will not revisit it.
The Public Bill Committee on the Crown Estate Bill [Lords] will meet for the first time on Thursday 6 February 2025 and is expected to report by 11.25am on Tuesday 11 February. When the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 11.25am on Tuesday 11 February 2025. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible.
Your submission should be emailed to scrutiny@parliament.uk
Further guidance on submitting written evidence can be found here (pdf, 1MB).
Image: Parliamentary Copyright