Contributions
2,441 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)I want to tease out a point here, because one of the reasons the Government are confident that the change will lead to beneficial outcomes is that high-quality engagement and…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)I simply disagree with the hon. Gentleman. It is a matter for the House rather than the Government. On their own terms, we think the changes made through the clause are…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)I will give way one last time, and then I will make some progress.29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Fourth sitting)Clause 8 streamlines the judicial review process for nationally significant infrastructure projects. The changes apply to legal challenges against decisions on development consent…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)Let me be clear. I appreciate the concerns that hon. Members have expressed. I hope that I can provide some reassurance, but I am more than happy to have further exchanges on this…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)I thank the shadow Minister for his question, and I look forward to what I know will be constructive debates over the days and weeks to come. He makes a fair point, which I am…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)The Planning Act 2008 provides a uniform approach to consenting, covering a wide range of sectors and types of development. However, this may not always be proportionate for…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. Before I speak to clause 1 stand part and respond to the hon. Gentleman’s amendment, I put on the record my thanks to…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Fourth sitting)It is certainly the case that it is not only in the pre-submission phase where slippages in timeframes have occurred. The hon. Member makes a valid point about the fact that we…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)I say gently to the hon. Lady that she has ignored everything I have said. Every one of the changes that will be able to be made through this process will have already been…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)The hon. Gentleman makes a reasonable point but, if I have understood him, it is a slightly different issue from the one we are considering. I will give him some extra clarity…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Fourth sitting)It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Twigg. In the last sitting, we discussed the various clauses and Government amendments in this group, and I thank hon. Members…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)I will give way in one second, if the hon. Member will allow me, because I think this is some useful context for some of the discussions that have taken place over recent months.…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)As hon. Members will be aware, last week the Government announced that we will reform the pre-application stage for nationally significant infrastructure projects to remove the…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)I thank my hon. Friend for that point, and I completely agree with him. The system was set up with very specific objectives in mind. It was created initially without a role for…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question. I want to be very clear about the circumstances in which this measure can be used. As he will appreciate, I will not comment on a…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)It will be for the Secretary of State to consider applicants’ requests when they are made. They will issue their policy on redirection decisions, and issue guidance for clarity…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)All I would say is that if the hon. Gentleman looked at the history of the response times on some of these matters he would see that in not every instance is there a timely…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)May I correct the hon. Gentleman? Local people in any part of the country affected by a development consent order will still be able to have their say on it. Nothing in the clause…29 Apr 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill (Third sitting)In the interest of focusing the debate on the actual changes that we are making in the clause, when a national policy statement has been reviewed and is to be updated, and…29 Apr 2025