Contributions
445 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTown and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026I will. I thank the noble Lord very much. This is time limited. The planning system needs to strike a balance; this system does not. We need to ensure democratic accountability;…30 Jun 2026HANSARDTown and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026My Lords, I must first declare my interest as a councillor in Central Bedfordshire. These regulations may appear to be a relatively straightforward implementation of the Planning…30 Jun 2026HANSARDTown and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026Before the Minister sits down, may I query a couple of her comments? There was reference to the local plan. What happens with applications that are not in the local plan? Those…30 Jun 2026HANSARDTown and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026Sorry, I think there is a slight misunderstanding. I am referring to reserved matters applications below 500 houses. Obviously, the outline will have gone to committee, but, on my…30 Jun 2026HANSARDTown and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026At end to insert “but this House regrets that the draft Regulations will reduce local democratic oversight over planning decisions, and risk putting further pressure on council…30 Jun 2026HANSARDLocal Government (Structural and Boundary Changes) (Control of Disposals etc.) (Amendment) Order 2026I thank the Minister for her responses, but I just wanted a little clarity on three of the questions that I asked. The first is on the impact of inflation. Roughly speaking,…23 Jun 2026HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026Before I start, I declare an interest as a councillor in Central Bedfordshire, which will no doubt at some point be affected by this statutory instrument. At the outset, we accept…23 Jun 2026HANSARDLocal Government (Structural and Boundary Changes) (Control of Disposals etc.) (Amendment) Order 2026My Lords, I need to declare again that I am a councillor in central Bedfordshire, although I do not believe we will be impacted by these changes at the moment. At the outset, I…23 Jun 2026HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026Just to be absolutely clear, the Minister used the example of 1.5 million, which clearly Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire do not hit. The Minister is clearly…23 Jun 2026HANSARDHome Ownership: First-time BuyersMy Lords, despite a housing crisis, we are seeing housebuilding plummet as affordability collapses and first-time buyers are reluctant to extend themselves in a period of economic…22 Jun 2026HANSARDJo Cox Civility CommissionI thank the noble Baroness, Lady Royall of Blaisdon, for introducing this debate and raising the importance of community, of respect, of getting involved, and of the work of the…18 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, I rise to speak to Amendments 68, 69, 74, 81, 82, 84 and 113 in my name and that of my noble friend Lady O’Neill of Bexley. All amendments in this group are united by a…17 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]17 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, I thank noble Lords who have contributed on this group. This debate has focused on the fundamental point that housing policy is not simply about providing a roof over…17 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, I will speak to this final group of amendments in my name and that of my noble friend Lady O’Neill of Bexley. Clause 17(2) gives the Secretary of State the power to…17 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]I thank the Minister for her reply and her brevity, such that we can go and say, “Come on, England”. We still have concern about giving the Secretary of State powers without, in…17 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]17 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, the amendment is in my name and that of my noble friend Lady O’Neill of Bexley. As we seek to increase housing supply, how do we ensure that social housing is not only…17 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]I thank noble Lords who have contributed to this debate. As ever, I am in awe of my noble friend Lord Young of Cookham’s vast knowledge and the amount of work that he has done on…17 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]I am sorry; I must be talking at cross-purposes. My point is that, given the length of time that people will be on the housing register, circumstances will change, and therefore…17 Jun 2026