My Lords, my noble friend, who I understand has executive responsibility for grass seed in the London Borough of Sutton, along with allotments and other matters, would have wanted to have come back to say that these amendments are not about the merits of any particular system, but about local...

My Lords, my noble friend, who I understand has executive responsibility for grass seed in the London Borough of Sutton, along with allotments and other matters, would have wanted to have come back to say that these amendments are not about the merits of any particular system, but about local...

My Lords, unless the Minister is about to move the government amendments—I was wondering whether she was going to do that—perhaps I should keep going.

My Lords, unless the Minister is about to move the government amendments—I was wondering whether she was going to do that—perhaps I should keep going.

My Lords, I was intending to comment on only one of the noble Lord’s amendments. I agree very much with the thrust of his comments but I would simply take up with him whether at this point we should be dealing with Clause 98. I am concerned about applying the...

My Lords, I was intending to comment on only one of the noble Lord’s amendments. I agree very much with the thrust of his comments but I would simply take up with him whether at this point we should be dealing with Clause 98. I am concerned about applying the...

My Lords, I suggest to the noble Lord that the words which had initially confused me—making the decision ““just because”” of these factors—in fact answer his point. I think that those words ““just because”” mean that they are a consideration but they are not the only consideration. They are part...

My Lords, I suggest to the noble Lord that the words which had initially confused me—making the decision ““just because”” of these factors—in fact answer his point. I think that those words ““just because”” mean that they are a consideration but they are not the only consideration. They are part...

My Lords, the word that I stumbled over when I first read Clause 14(2) was ““just””. Not justice, which of course is important, but ““just because””, which is not the sort of language that one normally sees in legislation. However, since the noble Lord has spoken, and having heard what...

My Lords, the word that I stumbled over when I first read Clause 14(2) was ““just””. Not justice, which of course is important, but ““just because””, which is not the sort of language that one normally sees in legislation. However, since the noble Lord has spoken, and having heard what...

My Lords, my noble friend Lady Parminter’s opposition to the clause standing part reflects not just the concern of her organisation but the concern felt outside the House about the provision. Of course I will withdraw the amendment and I am grateful to the Minister for his agreement that the...

My Lords, my noble friend Lady Parminter’s opposition to the clause standing part reflects not just the concern of her organisation but the concern felt outside the House about the provision. Of course I will withdraw the amendment and I am grateful to the Minister for his agreement that the...

Clause 124: Applications for planning permission: local finance considerations Amendment 166WA 166WA: Clause 124, page 117, line 3, at end insert— ““(2A) For the avoidance of doubt, subsection (2) should not be read to imply that any greater weight should be placed on local finance considerations than on other material...

Clause 124: Applications for planning permission: local finance considerations Amendment 166WA 166WA: Clause 124, page 117, line 3, at end insert— ““(2A) For the avoidance of doubt, subsection (2) should not be read to imply that any greater weight should be placed on local finance considerations than on other material...

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Greaves, who tabled this amendment, is unable to be here this afternoon—sadly for us, maybe not for him. Clause 124 deals with local finance considerations in connection with applications for planning permission. It provides that local finance considerations may be considered in dealing with...

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Greaves, who tabled this amendment, is unable to be here this afternoon—sadly for us, maybe not for him. Clause 124 deals with local finance considerations in connection with applications for planning permission. It provides that local finance considerations may be considered in dealing with...

I should declare an interest as joint president of London Councils, vice-president and past president of the Town and Country Planning Association, and, as I remain a member of what my noble friend Lord Tope calls the local government party, as an ex-member and chair of the London Assembly and...

I should declare an interest as joint president of London Councils, vice-president and past president of the Town and Country Planning Association, and, as I remain a member of what my noble friend Lord Tope calls the local government party, as an ex-member and chair of the London Assembly and...

Prequential.

Prequential.

We have that amendment in the group, together with Amendments 190A and 191A. I apologise to the Committee; I have a prior commitment that means that I am not able to stay for long this afternoon. I will read every word in Hansard, and will read between the lines as...

We have that amendment in the group, together with Amendments 190A and 191A. I apologise to the Committee; I have a prior commitment that means that I am not able to stay for long this afternoon. I will read every word in Hansard, and will read between the lines as...

I will indulge myself with one general political point, which is that the Minister made an extremely good case for the Government ensuring that local authorities can get back into the business of building housing as part of the economic regeneration programme. I wrote down what I thought was the...

I will indulge myself with one general political point, which is that the Minister made an extremely good case for the Government ensuring that local authorities can get back into the business of building housing as part of the economic regeneration programme. I wrote down what I thought was the...

Amendments 178A, 179B and 180B all seek to ensure that modifications to the draft revision of a regional strategy proposed by the Secretary of State are published for consultation. Again, we look to the involvement of members of the public—or, if you like, the community. Clause 72 sets out the...

Amendments 178A, 179B and 180B all seek to ensure that modifications to the draft revision of a regional strategy proposed by the Secretary of State are published for consultation. Again, we look to the involvement of members of the public—or, if you like, the community. Clause 72 sets out the...

I hope the Minister will take this comment in the right spirit. I do not think that the tone of what the noble Baroness, Lady Warsi, said was in any way aggressive. Certainly I made clear that my amendment was probing. I appreciate that the Minister has to respond to...

I hope the Minister will take this comment in the right spirit. I do not think that the tone of what the noble Baroness, Lady Warsi, said was in any way aggressive. Certainly I made clear that my amendment was probing. I appreciate that the Minister has to respond to...

I suspect that the Minister will not see our Amendment 180G as helpful or constructive. We feel that Clause 75(3) is heavy handed. My noble friend referred in opening to the lesser role of the Secretary of State in this provision compared with that in other clauses, but Clause 75(3)...

I suspect that the Minister will not see our Amendment 180G as helpful or constructive. We feel that Clause 75(3) is heavy handed. My noble friend referred in opening to the lesser role of the Secretary of State in this provision compared with that in other clauses, but Clause 75(3)...

Amendment 178A 178A: Clause 72, page 48, line 15, leave out ““consult such persons (if any) as the Secretary of State considers appropriate”” and insert ““publish the draft revision for consultation””

Amendment 178A 178A: Clause 72, page 48, line 15, leave out ““consult such persons (if any) as the Secretary of State considers appropriate”” and insert ““publish the draft revision for consultation””

The Minister is very persuasive, but on perhaps a slightly different point from the ones I was raising. I am trying to see whether some of this wording has been picked up from the 2004 Act. I am not sufficiently quick to be able to do so, but I will...

The Minister is very persuasive, but on perhaps a slightly different point from the ones I was raising. I am trying to see whether some of this wording has been picked up from the 2004 Act. I am not sufficiently quick to be able to do so, but I will...

Clause 70: Examination in public Amendment 176B 176B: Clause 70, page 46, line 36, at end insert— ““( ) the extent and nature of the consultation on the draft revision before it was published,””

Clause 70: Examination in public Amendment 176B 176B: Clause 70, page 46, line 36, at end insert— ““( ) the extent and nature of the consultation on the draft revision before it was published,””

I shall speak also to Amendments 176C, 176D, 176E and 180C. The clause concerns the examination in public of the regional strategy. I have again gone back to the 2004 Act, which deals with regional spatial strategies. The first of the amendments would insert into Clause 70(2), which deals with...

I shall speak also to Amendments 176C, 176D, 176E and 180C. The clause concerns the examination in public of the regional strategy. I have again gone back to the 2004 Act, which deals with regional spatial strategies. The first of the amendments would insert into Clause 70(2), which deals with...

We have added our names to Amendment 175, which raises similar concerns about the Secretary of State’s role. Our amendment in this group is Amendment 174A, suggested to us by the Local Government Association, which rightly anticipated our concern as regards the involvement of local authorities. Under Section 4 of...

We have added our names to Amendment 175, which raises similar concerns about the Secretary of State’s role. Our amendment in this group is Amendment 174A, suggested to us by the Local Government Association, which rightly anticipated our concern as regards the involvement of local authorities. Under Section 4 of...