Speeches by Murphy.

“Is it too early for the national policy statement to reference the strategic spatial energy plan before it is even completed? An earlier witness thought that the reference should be removed.”

“Charles, do you have any thoughts on possible changes to guidance and the threshold?”

“Are you saying that the streamlining has not gone far enough?”

“Just very quickly, the guidance says that the most significant impacts are only going to happen within a close vicinity of the site. Is that true? It is a genuine question. Is it that, if people are impacted because they can see it from a distance, that should not be classified as a significant impact?”

“We have been told that the introduction of the critical national priority status has lowered the threshold for developers to gain planning consent. Would you dispute that?”

“We heard from the RSPB, which has given us written evidence. It said that the CMP policy could lead developers to override environmental concerns and result in the environmental impacts of developments not receiving enough scrutiny. How do you respond to that?”

“Are you saying that the streamlining has not gone far enough?”

“Moving the conversation on to network upgrades, what will the combined effect be of the presumption of consent for critical national priority projects and the endorsement of the centralised strategic network plan? What is going to be the effect of that presumption of consent?”

“Is it too early for the national policy statement to reference the strategic spatial energy plan before it is even completed? An earlier witness thought that the reference should be removed.”

“What would happen if there is a proposed development that is outside the optimal areas or above the capacity limit identified for a particular one of those zones?”

“On the first panel that we had today, there was a bit of disagreement between our witnesses about how detailed the strategic spatial energy plans will be. How detailed and specific will they be place by place?”

“In that case, how is it not contradictory, given that the national policy statements maintain a commitment to a market-based energy system? How is that to be reconciled?”

“Thank you to our witnesses for coming today. The strategic spatial energy plan marks a shift away from the market-based energy system. Would you agree?”

“I am interested in whether it is a tonal or substantive disagreement between Sam and Isobel and Jackie on the level of protection needed and the concern about what could happen to wildlife. Is it just a tonal difference?”

“In terms of impacts on irreplaceable habitat that cannot be mitigated or avoided, could there now be scenarios where the infrastructure could go ahead because the need and the public interest is so overwhelming?”

“I thank the hon. Member for giving way, and apologise to the rest of the Committee—I do not have a quote. Under its new leadership, his party is reflecting on the policies of the previous 14 years, so given that he is making an argument about first-time buyers and SME builders, why did the number of SME builders in the…”

“It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I want to ask the Minister a couple of questions about compulsory purchase and redevelopment and regeneration schemes. A significant regeneration scheme has been proposed in Basingstoke for the communities of South Ham and Buckskin by the housing associa…”

“Will the hon. Gentleman give way?”

“I acknowledge that this is an important part of the Bill and that some organisations have expressed concerns about the matter. I agree with the hon. Members for North Herefordshire and for Taunton and Wellington pointing out what the OEP has said about this part of the Bill, but we should acknowledge that what the Mini…”

“Thank you, Dr Huq; it is a delight to serve under your chairship. Listeners to the debate have missed out on an entertaining discussion of the procedure of voting on amendments and clauses. I rise to comment briefly to amendment 29. I do not think that anyone on the Government Benches disagrees with the notion that we …”