Speeches by Amos.

“I beg to move amendment 124, in clause 47, page 74, line 10, leave out “from time to time” and insert “annually”.”

“We wish to press the amendment to a vote, because we believe in the right to be heard and, in general, we are highly concerned about the potential erosion of the democratic planning system by the Bill. Question put, That the amendment be made.”

“I beg to move amendment 21, in clause 47, page 62, leave out from line 32 to line 2 on page 63. This relates to amendment 22. This amendment would remove the requirement for unitary authorities to prepare spatial development strategies.”

“I rise simply to confirm that we will press new clause 104 to a vote.”

“Where’s my espresso?”

“I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”

“I am grateful to the Minister for that clarification, and he has my respect for bringing strategic planning back into the system. I know he has worked on that for a number of years; some of us have also worked on regional planning for a number of years and can remember the regional spatial strategy processes—in fact, t…”

“Dr Huq, I do not know whether I get the opportunity to sum up, so I have jumped in with an intervention. Could the Minister clarify the circumstances in which an individual unitary authority—perhaps a unitary county such as Somerset, or Oxfordshire, if it becomes a unitary county—would be required to, on its own, prepa…”

“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Dr Huq—although I was not sure how much of a pleasure until you introduced the sitting in the way that you did. Amendments 21 and 22 would remove the requirement on unitary authorities to prepare spatial development strategies, simply based on the resources that unitary …”

“So when do we vote on amendments 75 and 82 and new clause—”

“I am grateful to the Minister for correcting me on that point. He is absolutely right that there is a provision stating that consultation responses must be taken into account, but there is no duty to consult and no requirement, and it is the same for community involvement. In fact, the Bill explicitly states that there…”

“I beg to move amendment 120, in clause 47, page 70, leave out line 40 and insert— “(5) A strategic planning authority must prepare and consult on a statement of community involvement which provides for persons affected by the strategy to have a right to be heard at an examination.” I want to discuss participation in an…”

“I rise to speak to amendments 90 and 91—hon. Members will be pleased to hear that I will be brief. We have significant concerns about community involvement in consultation and about many of the points that have just been made. I have more to say on all that for the next group, in which we have tabled an amendment to ma…”

“I very much sympathise with the amendment. Indeed, I have air quality management areas in my constituency of Taunton and Wellington, including two that breach the lawful limits of air pollution. We desperately need the bypass for Thornfalcon and Henlade, which would solve that particular issue. In brief, I feel that th…”

“I rise to support amendment 1 and speak to amendment 30, which my hon. Friend the Member for Didcot and Wantage will talk about, and amendment 28, in my name, which relates to local wildlife sites. Amendment 28 would require spatial development strategies to take account of local wildlife sites and include policies tha…”

“indicated assent.”

“I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Amendment proposed: 123, in clause 47, page 66, line 7, at end insert— “(4A) For the purposes of subsection (4), ‘infrastructure and public services’ must include— (a) primary and secondary healthcare provision, including mental health provis…”

“The Minister is being characteristically generous with his time; I wish we had more. There are genuine concerns about the timetabling of the measures. I invite him to confirm that the Government are considering how to tackle the issue of ensuring that measures are taken in a timely fashion. That appears to be what he i…”

“I rise to speak to new clause 104, which relates to green belt protection. We recognise that the Government’s proposals are set out in the national planning policy framework. We do not support the way in which the standard method is being imposed on local authorities, nor do we support the way in which green belt relea…”

“I am grateful for the Minister’s response, but I remain concerned. The Bill states: “A spatial development strategy may specify or describe infrastructure the provision of which the strategic planning authority considers to be of strategic importance”. Particularly if the Government will not accept the amendment discus…”