Contributions
592 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Eighth sitting)Does my hon. Friend agree that the Minister’s supportive comments about the delivery of infrastructure, how it will unlock housing and how it needs to come forward to do so mean…14 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Eighth sitting)It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mrs Hobhouse. I rise to speak to amendments 88 and 89, which together relate to spatial development strategies and their content.…14 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move amendment 88, in clause 47, page 66, line 1, leave out “may” and insert “must”. This amendment would create a requirement that spatial development strategies specify…14 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Seventh sitting)We have always accepted and we support that allocation of funding to social housing, but a theme in Government thinking seems to be that the delivery of more homes through the…14 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Seventh sitting)The hon. Member for Basingstoke invited me to go down memory lane to what was happening in 2009, 2010 and so on. I am happy to do so. The Liberal Democrats went into coalition at…14 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Seventh sitting)I will not give way. I need to get back to the present day, if the hon. Gentleman will forgive me. It is important to dwell not on the proposed cuts of £22 billion to capital…14 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Eighth sitting)We are concerned about this issue. Our set of amendments in these areas is small; they are in the spirit of the Bill and of what the Government want to do with environmental…14 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Fifth sitting)I simply say that doing away with, effectively, an automatic right to a public inquiry in certain circumstances, as the Minister has clarified, and replacing that with the words…13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Fifth sitting)Will the Minister give way?13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Fifth sitting)I rise to query some of the provisions. We understand that the Government’s proposal would effectively remove the automatic right to call a public inquiry. The Minister knows we…13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Fifth sitting)I am extremely grateful to the Minister for addressing the serious points in the new clause, and particularly for saying that mandatory schemes will not be taken off the table. He…13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Fifth sitting)I rise to speak to new clause 102, which stands in the name of the Liberal Democrats. This would ensure that all communities hosting major energy infrastructure—solar farms, wind…13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Fifth sitting)Good morning, Mrs Hobhouse, it is especially a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair. Liberal Democrats are supportive of a scheme to encourage long-duration energy storage and,…13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Sixth sitting)rose—13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Sixth sitting)Will the Minister give way?13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Sixth sitting)My point was about the distinction between a voluntary guideline and putting in statute the removal of powers from councillors. I repeat: does the Minister not have any qualms…13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Sixth sitting)Another time, I would be interested to discuss what level of oversupply will actually work, because we have huge oversupply permissions already. My point is in relation to…13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Sixth sitting)As an illustration of the hon. Gentleman’s point about unbuilt planning permissions, in Somerset there are permissions for 11,000 new homes that have not been built, while the new…13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Sixth sitting)I agree with the hon. Gentleman. As I have said, the Local Government Act will be changed so that councillors may not have permission to recover such decisions, even if every…13 May 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Sixth sitting)I completely accept that policy and guidance exist, but there is a degree of discretion when it comes to policy and guidance. We are dealing with primary statutory legislation…13 May 2025